


A Madman's Revenge

by ariane2014



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Captivity, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Sexual Bondage, Suspense, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-19
Updated: 2014-10-19
Packaged: 2018-02-21 19:43:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 34,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2480156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariane2014/pseuds/ariane2014
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the TMNT's 30th Anniversary. Originally published on FF.Net on March 5, 2014. </p>
<p>The Shredder has been having visions of alternate versions of himself being continuously defeated by different versions of his greatest enemies the turtles. Will they be saved from the wrath of his vengeance? Or will they be consumed by it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter takes place 2 weeks after the season 1 finale "Showdown". Just wanted to throw that out there.

Oroku Saki tossed and turned in his bed, groaning and muttering in his sleep as he was trapped in yet another nightmare. He woke with a start, his eyes wide, drenched in sweat as he drew in deep gasps trying to slow down his heart rate. "Not again," he grumbled to himself as he remembered the events in his most recent nightmare.

Saki had been fighting those blasted turtles yet again. He had captured the red one and had successfully lured the others into a trap. They were all caught in a net and he was slowly maneuvering the net over a collection of deadly sharp weapons and other objects. He had finally won! He was finally going to eliminate the four most annoying creatures from his life! He would finally have his revenge for when they tossed him into the back of a garbage truck a few months prior. And then…

He had forgotten about that rat sensei of theirs. Just before the net reached the pile of weapons, an arrow shot through the rope, sending them falling safely to the ground. Saki could only stare in surprise as he looked in the direction from where he had heard "Cowabunga!" before he noticed that the blue one crossed his arms and stated, "That's right, Shredder! You forgot! We carry insurance!" The orange one quickly continued with "Yeah. We travel with Splinter, dude!"

Infuriated, Saki heard himself yell, "Get them!"…

And then Saki had woken up. This was not the first of these types of visions he had had this week. It was not the fact he had just had a nightmare that weighed on his mind, it was that it felt so _real_ that bothered him. Each one happened the same way. He would be so close to eliminating those _freaks_ before his enemy Hamato Yoshi interfered. He knew the rat was Yoshi, but in those dreams, he found that he couldn't trust his memories. He'd see himself and realize he couldn't recognize his face! Even those turtles and Yoshi would look different!

A light knocking on his door brought him out of his thoughts. "Come in," he ordered feeling exhausted.

"Father, are you alright?" a young girl asked him. Her eyes were sharp, and her short hair gave her the appearance of being ready for action at a moment's notice. At the moment, however, she was wearing a nightgown and a pair of slippers. Definitely not the kind of outfit a person would wear to go out.

Saki met the girl's gaze, losing himself in the depths of concern her eyes held for him. 'Father?' he thought as his mind struggled to place just who this girl was. Finally, he remembered, "Karai…is that you?" When she nodded, he reached out for her hands as relief and horror swept through him. 'How could I forget my own daughter's name? These visions are taking their toll on my psychological well-being after all.'

"Father, you were screaming again. Were you having nightmares?" Karai asked him, her tone laden with her concern for her father's health.

"Forgive me, Karai. I did not mean to wake you. I am fine, I just need to get some sleep." Saki lowered his gaze back to his pillow. He didn't want his daughter – or was she his granddaughter? – to let his worries consume her. Even though he wasn't technically her father by birth, he had still raised her for years. He loved her, for she so closely resembled the love of his life that was now departed from this world.

Karai seemed to regard him thoughtfully, as if deciding whether or not to leave him be. Eventually she gave a small bow and left the room. Before closing the door behind her she whispered, "Get some sleep, Father. Don't forget that we are supposed to lay a trap for the turtles tomorrow." Then the door clicked shut, and the sounds of receding footsteps echoed in the dark and empty hallway.

Saki found himself grinning evilly as he imagined the pleasure of finally destroying his enemies tomorrow. As he laid his head back down on his pillow he found himself thinking about how long he had been fighting these enemies. 'Has it really only been a year? Why does it feel like it's been much longer, like thirty years? It must be those visions! They are responsible for my confusion! One minute I'm with two absolute morons named Bebop and Rocksteady, and the next I'm back with the idiots Bradford and Xever. I even had two mutants named Tonka and Rahzaar that thought I was their mother!'

He took in a deep yawn as he felt the tell tale signs of upcoming sleep start to take him in. 'Oh well. It'll all be over the instant I completely destroy Yoshi and those abominations that he calls family. Then my sanity will finally return to me.' With a final stretch, he closed his eyes and slipped into darkness…

When he opened his eyes, he found that he was yet again in the midst of one of the strange visions. "Not again!" he growled as he struggled to find the way out of this current dream. He saw his reflection in his gauntlet and realized with a gasp that, once again, he looked different. Raising his hand to the right side of his face, he couldn't believe what he felt. Or to be more accurate, what he didn't feel. Gone were the burn scars that covered the right side of his face. And he could see out of his right eye for the first time in years! He marveled over his reflection in wonder until he heard a Foot soldier call out to him, "Master Shredder! We have located the turtles over by the water tank on 5th."

Turning around in a flash, Saki regarded the soldier in front of him, confusion and pleasure at the news warring within him. "Are you absolutely positive that they are there?" he questioned in an authoritative tone.

His subordinate – was he? – didn't even flinch as he replied, "Yes, Master. We saw the van that we have previously observed them using to escape in the past parked nearby. One of our scouts reported that he saw four figures at that location as well. We have no reason to believe we are mistaken in our report to you, Master Shredder."

Saki grinned as he ordered, "Very well. We will go there at once." With that, he ran toward the water tower, his glee and excitement increasing with each step he took that brought him closer to his prey. When he found them, he noticed that they were waiting for him. As he prepared to take them down, he felt his heart respond by beating faster, pounding to the point of desperation to ensure every one of his muscles was well supplied with blood and oxygen. How Saki loved the pre-battle tension that always hung in the air whenever he encountered the turtles.

Speaking of turtles, he took a moment to realize that they too looked different. They looked taller, more muscular and held none of the naivety he had grown to expect with the turtles he was used to encountering. His eyes narrowed, and his gaze traveled over all four of them. He was not sure, but it seemed that the orange one had something missing from his face, and something about the purple one's smile threw him off. Saki dismissed the concerns with a mental shrug. It wasn't like he really cared about each turtle's individuality in the first place, so why let it bother him?

The orange one spoke first, exchanging a quick glance with the blue one, "Dude."

Then the red one added, "Let the butt kicking begin."

Finally the blue one drew his weapons and got into a battle ready position. Saki couldn't help but grin as he ordered, "Foot ninja, ATTACK!"

Then the battle began. Saki had to admit that these turtles could fight very well. They were a tad more polished and practiced than the turtles he was accustomed to. Eventually, Saki had decided he had had enough of standing by on the sidelines. So when an injured foot distracted the orange one he sent the freak flying into the water tower, reveling in the cry of pain that escaped the lips of the beaten turtle. Saki waited to take out the purple one until it was distracted by a conversation, but he easily sent the fool flying with a few quick punches. He was just about to take out the blue one when the red one got in the way. Unperturbed, Saki grabbed the red one and sent it to join the purple one by a small wall. He was surprised when he saw that the orange one had started fighting again, but he was still mostly unimpressed by how easily he defeated it for a second time as it was sent flying yet again. Now he was finally free to focus his attention on the blue one, and boy was he glad when it jumped right in front of him without realizing its mistake. With a grin, Saki sent that one flying toward its companions, enjoying the sweet taste of victory.

'I have won!' Saki thought, feeling joy as he slowly approached the huddled and injured turtles, relishing the panicked expressions on their faces. 'Yes! After all these years! All I have to do is end their lives and the visions will end!' He raised his gauntlet, preparing to put an end to the turtles as he promised, "None of you will leave here alive!" As he swung down, an all too familiar voice sounded from behind him. As usual, he had forgotten about the rat!

"Shredder! Nooo!" He heard the rat cry as the rodent dashed in to defend the turtles. The rodent brought up his cane to block Saki's gauntlet as he hissed "You destroyed my family once. I will not allow that to happen again!"

Saki yelled, feeling furious with the old rodent, "No man – or freak – can defeat me!"

Yoshi – was the rat Yoshi? – growled, "That remains to be seen!" With a flourish of the wrist, the rat shoved Saki aside and Saki felt pain as the cane struck his side.

The rat led Saki closer to where the water tank stood, and Saki let himself feel confident that he was defeating this rodent at its own game. After all, it wasn't fighting back, but was just moving about in a defensive manner, dodging and jumping. Meanwhile Saki's gauntlet was slashing through the support beams.

Saki should have known it was a trap. After all, rats are very tricky. When the water tank began to sway due to the sudden lack of support, Saki watched in horror as the rat yelled, "This is for my master, Yoshi!" and launched a jump kick at the severed beam. Saki tried to get away, but the tank burst and he found himself being swept away in a giant wave of water.

When Saki awoke, he found that he was no longer able to sustain a clear line of thought from beginning to end. 'Was Yoshi alive? Was he a rat? Am I a father? Am I a grandfather? Are those turtles even real? Did I control that blue one for a time?' Then Saki grinned, his mind pulling up memories of different visions he had witnessed over the past several days. "I see," he muttered to himself, "I understand clearly now. I must avenge all my fallen comrades who have been tormented by the presence of such horrendous monstrosities! This was a message from destiny! Time for me to destroy the turtles and that rat once and for all! Yes! YES! Tomorrow, they will all come to an end!" He felt something in his brain snap, and then a maniacal laugh exploded from him. He had no idea what time it was, and he found he didn't care. There was only one thing he cared about now – revenge.

His mad laughter echoed throughout the halls of his house as he began to plot the perfect way to destroy his most hated enemies.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains my take on Leo's perspective of the Season 1 finale: "Showdown". And the "Present Day" section takes place the day after the previous chapter. Just so you know.

Leonardo drew in a deep breath, enjoying the rare quiet that had settled over the lair from within the confines of his room. He had decided that he would take this opportunity to practice meditating since it required the utmost concentration and focus. It was not easy to get that when his three younger brothers had a tendency to wreak havoc during the long periods between their training sessions and their evening patrol. He let his thoughts turn inward as he began to tune out the outside world.

Things had been quiet in the streets above since they stopped the Kraang invasion two weeks ago. Leo felt that this peace was a mixed blessing. He felt like they needed the break, or at least he did. A shiver passed through him as he remembered that night.

-Flashback-

Almost everything had gone wrong with their mission. There was a force field around the Kraang portal that resisted the blast of the Micro Fission Omni Disintegrator. Leonardo had been so sure that the MFOD would work that when the portal remained intact he turned on his brother Donnie, who had assured him that his calculations were accurate, and yelled in surprise, "There's a force field?! Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Well, because I wanted us to fail." Donatello had said with a sarcastic grin on his face. When Leo narrowed his eyes, thoroughly unamused, Don continued, "Obviously, I DIDN'T KNOW!"

As the Kraang started to open fire on them, Raph asked, "Anyone got a plan B?"

Leo's mind raced, repeating 'Need a plan…need a plan…' He remembered when Master Splinter had told him in the past that plans rarely hold throughout the mission and that success was determined by how you adapted to the unexpected. With a mental sigh, he felt embarrassed at how he forgot this important lesson.

As he dodged and jumped around the rock giant, he glanced up at Donnie and asked, "Donnie? How's that plan B coming?" His mind was too spent to think of anything other than surviving the rock giant's heavy steps and lava attack. Since his younger brother was much smarter than he was, a part of him hoped that if anyone could come up with a good plan, Donatello would. 'After all,' he thought despondently, 'my plan failed.'

Donnie used his bo staff to hold a Kraang droid in front of him as a shield against some laser blasts as he responded, "I'm thinking!"

"Think faster!" Leo yelled, his frustration at his own uselessness making him sound angrier than he intended. When he whirled around to blow off that big boulder's approaching hand, he heard his brother call out to him.

"I can probably hack into the Kraang system if you give me enough time!" Don snapped, and Leo flinched as he heard the irritation in his brother's voice.

But he quickly recovered and replied, "Great! Do that!" He knew he was right to have faith in Donnie's mental abilities. Now he just had to buy his little brother enough time to hack into the system. That was something Leo knew he could accomplish. 'Just got to keep the giant busy.' He thought to himself with a smirk.

He was doing alright for a while, the MFOD was definitely slowing the enemy down, but at a cost. It kept taking longer and longer for the device to fire off another blast and then a horrible realization hit him. "This thing's running out of juice!" He announced to his brothers loudly.

Then Michelangelo called out, "And guys, look!" As everyone turned to look where Mikey was pointing, the youngest continued, "The portal!"

'Oh shell' Leo thought as he watched the portal adjust itself into a different position. Turning a desperate expression toward where Donnie was working he told the braniac "Whatever's coming through the portal will be here soon."

As Donnie started tapping his T-phone more frantically, Raph's impatient voice rang out, "When's that force field coming down, Donnie?"

Donnie replied immediately, "I'm working on it!"

Leo looked around as Kraang and the rocky alien began to attack again. With a giant leap, and a little help from a Kraang he had kicked, he managed to get close enough to deliver a blast to the creature's chest, sending heavy limbs and appendages flying in all directions as it crashed to the ground.

As the unattached blocks of granite started to return to the fallen enemy, Mikey cried out, "I forgot he could do that."

Leo glanced down at the MFOD, concerned that the device was about to die out on him and muttered, "Not good."

Then Donnie's excited voice rang out, giving all of them hope as he yelled, "Guys, I think I got it!" And when the toaster popped and a pink shimmer washed over the portal, the genius exclaimed, "Yes! All hail me!"

Then the portal started up, a pink ball of light forming in the ceiling as the sounds of its activation whirred in the atmosphere. Leo's thoughts came to an abrupt stop as he felt panic seize him for a moment. He heard Don and Mike say something in the background, but he was not paying attention to them anymore. He was crossing his fingers and praying that the MFOD would be able to last one more shot. The Kraang surrounded them and Leo didn't notice that all his brothers had gathered behind him as he muttered, "Come on baby. Come on baby. Come on baby!"

Then the device made its chirp that signaled that it had charged up a blast and, feeling quite certain that _this_ time everything would work as he aimed the MFOD straight for the portal, he yelled, "YES! Say 'Goodnight' Kraang!"

And then, the device died, without getting the shot off. As they all stared at the device and each other in surprise, Donnie yelled, "What the heck happened?!"

"I think the batteries died!" Leo explained.

Then Raph chimed in, "And we'll be joining them, unless someone thinks of something."

"What's plan C, Leo?" Donnie asked, his exhaustion starting to show in his voice.

Leo's mind raced as he struggled to think of a way to still manage to pull off a success somehow. 'This was not supposed to be this difficult.' He mentally scolded himself. As he glanced around him, his eyes landed on the power cell and a drastic idea hit him. Not knowing of anything better to do, he asked, "Donnie, what would happen if I ruptured the power cell?"

Donnie glanced at him in surprise as he warned, "The whole place would go up, with US IN IT!"

Leo made up his mind, determined to see this through once and for all. He unsheathed one of his katana as he ordered his brothers, "Go!"

They all glanced at each other in fear and concern and then Donnie asked, "Whoa, Leo. You aren't thinking what I think you're thinking?!"

Leo didn't respond, only turning around to quickly start taking out as many enemies as he could to ensure his brothers would be able to escape without suffering any more injuries. As he dashed away from his brothers he heard Donnie exclaim, "He's thinking it!"

He saw his brothers exit the tower in a hurry, and he grinned as he took down Kraang after Kraang. His heart was pounding and adrenaline coursed through his veins. He felt his ninja instincts take over and he felt pleasure at how much faster, stronger and agile he became when he gave in to them. 'I've got this in the bag!' he thought with pride as he turned his attention back to the power cell. With a yell, he dove for the target, his blade sinking into the highly vulnerable device.

Then the portal began to explode. Leo knew he had to get away quickly, so he performed flip after flip until he finally jumped out of the window. For a moment he thought, 'I did it!' When the building followed suit, smoke and debris surrounded him as he began to fall to the ground. A feeling of weightlessness settled over him as he realized he had forgotten a very critical detail. Turtles don't fly.

Panic set in as the ground continued to approach. 'I'm falling! I'm FALLING!' he thought as he swung his arms in the air, a pointless resistance against the forces of gravity. 'I'm not going to make it' he thought sadly as he realized he was all out of options. He didn't have the wings, they were likely a smoldering pile of debris by now. He didn't have his grappling hook, it was also most likely incinerated by the explosions. As his life flashed before his eyes, his thoughts turned back to his family. 'At least they made it out.' He hoped they knew how much he loved them as he braced himself for the end.

Then he became aware that someone had grabbed him, saving him. It was Raphael. As Leo's mind processed the fact he was not dead, he heard Raph holler, "In your face, gravity!"

With a relieved sigh, Leo looked up at his brother and said, "Thanks Raph."

"Any time, buddy."

With a nervous chuckle, Donnie joined in, "I can't believe it! We saved the world!"

"Yeah!" Mikey said with a grin.

…

And then they learned that the Kraang had April in their TechnoDrome. Leo and his brothers could only stand in shock as they listened to Mr. O'Neil tell them what had happened while they were at TCRI.

It had been a long fight to reach where the Kraang had April held captive. The fact that there was no sense of gravity in the TechnoDrome definitely threw Leo off at first. But eventually, he and his brothers managed to locate the room where a giant Kraang had April attached to an assortment of strange machines.

"Witness the end of your kind!" The giant Kraang said in an oddly coherent way. This confused Leonardo since most of his experiences with the Kraang involved them speaking a very broken and very grammatically incorrect English.

Pushing his thoughts aside, he narrowed his eyes as he yelled, "Not if we can help it!"

"Turtles?!" The giant Kraang exclaimed in shock. "Kraang will not be stopped by pathetic mutants!"

"At least we're not stupid aliens!" Michelangelo taunted.

Leo turned his attention to Raphael and ordered, "Raph, quick!"

Without hesitation, Raph dove into the Kraang, causing the giant alien to scream in agony while Donatello leapt forward to free April from the restraints and head device.

Leo kept his attention divided on both the Kraang who was still crying and April who was being held by Donnie. He smiled a bit as April looked into Donnie's eyes and whispered, "You're my hero." He knew how much his brother cared for the redhead, and he held back a taunt as the shy turtle blushed and chuckled nervously.

"Hey, Chuckles." Raph said, growing slightly impatient with his brother's antics. "We've gotta get out of here."

Leo blinked, remembering that they would have time for celebration as soon as they got April out. He quickly helped place April on Don's back and they all started to climb out of the room.

"Let's go!" Donnie exclaimed as they left the Kraang's room.

Leo believed wholeheartedly that they had defeated the Kraang, so he boldly led the way out of the TechnoDrome. 'Just have to get home. Then we're safe.' He thought as he began to let himself relax. Sure there were the small typical Kraang that tried to stop them from escaping, but Leo and the others took them out without too much difficulty. That was when an ominous feeling began to form in his stomach. 'This seems…too easy.' He thought hesitantly.

An explosion occurred not long after he sent a small Kraang falling down to the bottom of the tower they were using to escape. That was when the ship started to tilt, turning the tunnel on its side. He and his brothers held on tight and the room's gravitational pull shifted. 'And I thought having gravity was a good thing' he thought tiredly. After the ship stopped moving, they continued their dash for an exit of any kind.

"Leo? I have a question!" Mikey called out between breaths.

As Leo pounced on another Kraang, he felt a twinge of irritation sweep through him as he asked, "Can it wait?"

"Not really! Did we beat that big Kraang thingie?"

"Yes, Mikey. We did." Leo chanced a moment to glance back at his baby brother over his shoulder.

Michelangelo's next question stopped Leonardo's blood cold. "'Kay, then why is it following us?!"

'Oh shell' Leo thought as he turned around and saw the giant Kraang from earlier chasing them down. 'C'mon legs! MOVE!' he silently ordered himself, and as the Kraang approached, he followed his brothers in haste.

It didn't take long for the Kraang to catch up to them. Leo found himself listening for the sounds of his brothers' footsteps to make sure that they kept on moving forward. Then he heard the familiar sound of the energy beam attack that most of the little Kraang had in their hover cars. As explosions rang out on all sides, Leo found himself thinking back to when he ruptured the Kraang power cell earlier that evening. 'I'm fine. I'm ok. I'm with my brothers.' He thought to himself, fighting the terror that threatened to take hold of him.

"Everybody, there's one last escape pod up ahead!" Donnie called out, clearly relieved that the mission was nearly over.

Then Leo heard Michelangelo cry out as he tripped and found himself in a seemingly bottomless pit. He watched in horror as the Kraang started to charge up an energy attack that would definitely hit his little brother if given enough time.

Driven by his protective instincts, Leo rushed in and yelled, "GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!" He performed a somersault and sliced right through the Kraang's weapon, allowing the device to fall through the crevice. When he reached down for his brother, a wave of relief swept through him as he saw his brother was not hurt or that far down. "Hurry Mikey!" He called out.

Mikey pulled out one of his nunchaku and hoisted one end into Leo's outstretched hand. As Leo lifted his brother out of there, the Kraang threatened, "There's nowhere for you to run, mutants!"

Leo and Mikey started to dash away, desperate to reach the escape pod. As he saw his brothers jump into the pod, Leo stopped, whirling around to face the Kraang. He wasn't too sure what he thought he'd find, but a part of him hoped that the Kraang would be farther away from them. That there'd be more time for them to get away before the Kraang reached them.

Unfortunately, that was not what Leonardo found when he turned back to face the Kraang. It was practically in his face, just meters away from where his brothers were in the escape pod. As Leo stared directly into the Kraang's eyes, the Kraang growled, "All of you will _die_ here."

Leo took deep breaths, steeling his nerve as he tried to ignore the pleading calls of his brothers. Sensei's words from earlier that afternoon were ringing clearly in his head. _"With the world at stake, the only thing of importance is that you complete your mission. No matter what you have to sacrifice…or who."_ 'Hai, Sensei. I know what I must do.' He thought as he prepared himself for his last ditch effort to keep his brothers, and the world, safe.

As the Kraang started to launch an attack, Leo pounced, using Michelangelo's kusarigama to tie the Kraang's arm tentacle behind its back. He began to pull backward on the chain while the enraged alien continued to try lunging for the escape pod.

"Leo!" He heard Raph cry out in protest.

"No! Get out of here! Now!" Leo ordered, not in the mindset to allow for any resistance from his stubborn brother.

"What are you talking about?"

"Dude, you can't do this!" Now Mikey was arguing with him.

"Go!" He yelled more desperately than before. His grip on the Kraang was starting to loosen and he yelled, "I can't hold it back any longer!"

"Leo!"

Finally Donatello stepped in and dragged Raphael back into the escape pod while Mikey closed it shut. "We gotta go now!"

When the pod rose, Leo allowed himself to utter "Sayonara, watashi no kyodai." Then the chain restraining the Kraang snapped and for a moment Leo feared the pod would not get away from the Kraang in time. Fortunately for everyone, the pod sped away just before the Kraang could reach it with its tentacles. A small smile formed on Leo's face as he made peace with himself.

In a fit of rage, the Kraang whirled on him and wrapped a tentacle around his torso, lifting him up so that the alien could look him in the eye. It hissed, "You, mutant, will pay!"

Leo let out a frightened gasp as he realized that the Kraang was going to throw him down a pit similar to the one Mikey had fallen down. 'No!' he thought frantically, desperately wanting nothing more than to get away.

The Kraang grinned sadistically as Leo struggled vainly to wiggle free. "Is the mutant afraid of falling?" It teased cruelly.

That gave Leo pause as he stared with wide eyes at the alien. 'Afraid? Of falling? Impossible!' He thought stubbornly even though his body betrayed him by trembling more violently. 'Stop shaking! Stop shaking! Stop shaking!' His eyes defiant, he growled at the Kraang, "Never!"

The Kraang was unconvinced and smirked as it reared back, purring "Kraang will test you, mutant!" Then it threw Leo as hard as it could down into the crevice.

Leo screamed as he felt himself falling in the darkness. A part of him hoped that somehow, his brothers would come through for him and save him. 'I'm a fool.' He thought, pushing that hope away almost immediately, 'my brothers won't come for me.' As he braced himself for impact, he muttered, "I guess I really am afraid."

Then, instead of an impact against some metal, the air rushed out of him as he hit a liquid concrete with a giant _SPLASH_. He sunk into the wet substance, unable to move for the stinging pain along his carapace. Opening his mouth to breathe, he tasted salt water, and opened his eyes wide in surprise. 'I'm alive!' He thought as he neither rose or sank further into the watery depths. His survival instinct kicked in and he struggled to swim to the surface, ignoring the way his shell continued to protest to the movement.

When he broke the surface, he drew in deep gasps, looking around wildly as he regained his senses. About ten meters away, he saw the Kraang's TechnoDrome fall into the water and marveled at how close he had come to sinking along with the ship. 'Almost like Captain Ryan' he thought in exhaustion.

As he saw pods start to rise to the surface, he realized with a gasp that he had no idea where his brothers were. Tired and sore, he found a piece of the TechnoDrome's outer part and used that to help keep himself afloat while he weakly kicked with his legs to move and find his brothers. After about a minute of swimming around, he found a pod that had drifted away from the others, and the figures inside it looked very familiar. As he drew closer, a smile formed on his face as he overheard Raphael talking to the others.

"I gave him nothing but a hard time. If I had to do it over again, I'd definitely be nicer."

With a mental shrug, Leo decided that was about as close as he would get to his brother actually allowing himself to become vulnerable around anyone other than Spike and so, with a hint of mischief in his tone, he swam up behind Raph and asked, "Really?"

"Really…" Raph replied before noticing that he recognized the voice. Leo watched as Raph turned around, his eyes wide with shock as he hesitantly called out, "Leo?" And when Raph saw Leo, the green-eyed brother yelled, "Leo!"

Leo paddled up to them, chuckling as he took in the surprised and thrilled expressions on his brothers' and April's faces.

Then in true "Raph"ian fashion, the hot head growled happily, "Leo, you dork! You scared the heck out of us!"

-Present-

Leo shook his head as he found that his thoughts were anything but meditative. With a sigh, he muttered, "I haven't been able to meditate lately." He frowned as he started to get out of the proper position. He had hoped that meditation would help him work past this newfound fear of falling. 'I jump between buildings! I run on rooftops! Why?!' He punched his fist into his pillow as his frustration mounted. A voice rang through his head, 'Well think about it. You did nearly fall to your death twice in less than twelve hours. Any normal person would be afraid after that.'

"But I'm a ninja!" He growled in frustration. "I'm supposed to be brave! I'm not supposed to be trembling like a frightened child!" The voice called out to him again, 'Calm down. You're better than this.' Leo stopped himself, and started to take deep breaths, allowing himself to settle his rolling emotions back down. 'That's better.' The voice said.

Leo grimaced as he turned his attention away from the inside of his head to the clock on his wall. He stood up with a groan as he muttered to himself, "Well, it's time for me to get the guys ready for our nightly patrol." As he exited his room, he found his brothers scattered about the lair.

Mike was busy watching television in the living room, and Raph was busy pounding away at the Shredder dummy. Leo didn't see Don physically, but he guessed that judging from the sounds coming from the lab, that his brother was busy running some experiment or test. As he approached his brothers, he heard his Sensei call him from the dojo "Leonardo. Come here."

Uncertain, he chanced a glance at his brothers to see if they had any idea what was up, but aside from confused and curious stares, he got no information. Straightening his shoulders, he entered the dojo and knelt down in front of his father.

Almost immediately, Master Splinter turned around and asked with narrowed eyes, "What is wrong, my son?"

Leo's mind went blank as he stammered, "W-why nothing is wrong, Sensei! Why would you think something like that?" He put his hand behind his head as he grinned nervously.

He felt Sensei's disbelieving gaze rove over him before settling on his face, staring him directly in the eyes. Leo couldn't help but swallow as he felt like all the secrets of his soul were being exposed. Finally Master Splinter let out a sigh as he whispered, "You know you can trust me, right Leonardo?"

Leonardo nodded enthusiastically as he replied, "Of course, Sensei."

A long moment stretched between them and Leo felt like he shouldn't even dare to breathe. Finally, his father spoke, "My son. Do not forget that it is due to the existence of fear, that we can know what it means to be brave."

Leo found himself surrounded in the warm and knowing gaze of his father, and tears threatened to form in his eyes as he thought 'Of course he knows.' With a respectful bow, he muttered, "Hai, Sensei."

As he stood up to leave, he heard his father warn "Be careful on your patrol tonight."

He paused and turned back to gaze warmly at his father. "Of course Sensei." And as he walked out, he found all three of his brothers waiting anxiously right outside the dojo.

Raphael grinned at Leo and asked, "All ready, Fearless?"

With a brief nod, Leo ordered, "Let's go guys!" As he and his brothers left the lair to run through the sewers, he found himself feeling a little lax. 'Not like anything is going to happen anyway' he thought calmly.


	3. Chapter 3

Karai sat in total silence, the wind blowing through her cropped hair as she peered through the darkness like a hawk. She was with at least thirty of the highest ranking members of the Foot, and her father was counting on her to succeed. She was not allowed to fail him again. His deep voice echoed in her mind, _"Failure comes with a stiff penalty, child."_

She shuddered at how different he started sounding lately. Her father had always been very harsh and strict, rarely ever showing satisfaction with her technique or abilities. Once Leo and the others had shown up, he had become obsessed with hunting them down. But, at least to her, it seemed that ever since her father's battle against Hamato Yoshi he had become much colder. He had become more distant and harder for her to read.

Movement on the streets below caught her attention. A thin grin spread across her lips as she recognized the red headed girl on the sidewalk. 'Looks like the princess has left her castle.' Her orders were simple. Capture April and use her as bait to lure in the turtles and Hamato. She turned a glance over at the Foot all around her and gave the signal for them to follow their target. Right now, April was in the open, and Karai felt her frustration growing at the fact she had to stay hidden in the shadows.

Eventually April wandered into a darkened alley and Karai had to stifle a laugh at how naïve the princess was. 'She doesn't even realize she's being followed! How pathetic.' She felt the muscles in her legs tense in anticipation, smirking as she flipped down from where she had stayed on the rooftop. When she straightened herself back up, she found that she thoroughly enjoyed the surprised and fearful look that she inspired in the red-head's face.

"Good evening, Princess."

"Karai…!"

She bowed as she replied, "At your service." She strode toward April, keeping her stern eyes fixed on the shaken and slightly surprised girl. Even though April wasn't a huge threat, Karai had to remember that she was undergoing ninjutsu training from that rat master. And seeing as how Leo had learned under the same master, that was more than enough for Karai to at least slightly consider April's fledgling abilities.

Karai saw the expression on April's face turn from fear to a brave determination. When April whipped out her tessan, Karai performed a back flip, dodging the metal fan's sharp edge. With a smile on her face, Karai formed fists in front of her body. She knew that if she could just grab the tessan, then she could leave it where Leo would be sure to find it. A wave of pleasure swept through her as she thought of seeing him again. Leo's presence always made things more interesting for her, and she hated being bored.

As April charged her, Karai stepped to the side, easily dodging April's reckless forwardness. Though April had improved since the last time Karai had fought her, April was still a rookie who hadn't mastered the cunning patience that came with experience. She teased and taunted April with flips and jumps as she continued to lure April where she had allies in wait.

After April had tried the same tactic four times, the girl paused and narrowed her blue eyes suspiciously at Karai. "What are you up to, Karai?"

The question caught Karai completely off guard. Her brown eyes widened in shock as she asked, "What do you mean?"

"I've been wide open. And you haven't taken advantage. So…what are you up to?"

Karai was speechless. She had assumed that April was just being a fool for the sake of it. Her expression darkened as she retorted, "I'm hurt that you would even suggest such things."

April shook her head and continued with a glare, "Stop lying. I know you're up to something. I just don't know what yet."

With a bored sigh, Karai flicked her wrist, signaling for the Foot to go ahead and jump in. She saw April freeze as ten Foot suddenly surrounded her on all sides. She had to give April props for attempting to fight back, but the kunoichi-in-training just didn't have the skills necessary to fight off ten opponents at once. Karai strode up as the Foot had April restrained, the girl struggling vainly to free herself.

Karai bent down to pick up the abandoned tessan, and closed it quickly in front of April's face with a sneer. "Settle down, Princess. I need you in order to capture your knights in shining armor. Don't force me to mark that perfect face." She stroked April's cheek with her hand, relishing in the reproachful look she was receiving from her bait.

Karai watched as April continued to struggle with a bored expression. As she thought, things were boring whenever Leo wasn't around. Plus, she really didn't like April. It was too bothersome for her to consider the reasons as to why she felt this animosity toward the red-headed girl. All she knew was that April's very presence rubbed her the wrong way, and that was good enough for her. She was so lost in her thoughts that she missed hearing the voice of one of her Foot subordinates. Feeling the expectant gaze from under the mask, Karai's attention snapped to the Foot soldier and she asked very intelligently, "Huh?"

If the Foot snickered at her question, Karai didn't notice. "Lady Karai. What are your orders?"

"Oh" she stated as she tapped her chin with the closed tessan. She hummed as she quickly began to think of the next stage of the plan. This was the first time her father had entrusted her with a mission of this scale without coming up with the complete plan himself. 'All he really said was to figure it out on my own' she thought with a bizarre mix of anxiety and excitement. She turned her attention back to her prisoner as a light bulb flared to life inside her mind. "You have a cell phone, don't you?"

April's eyes widened and her gaze flicked down to her right front pocket before she managed to recompose her expression to match an indifferent mask. "Yeah. I do. So? Everyone has one."

Karai grinned, "And you have your brave knights' phone numbers?" She strode forward, ignoring April's denials and protests as she reached into April's pocket and pulled out her prize. The shape alarmed her at first. It almost looked like the phone had a shell. When her gaze moved back to April's face, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "Really?"

Karai wasn't surprised when she found herself to be the focus of a burning blue glare, and shrugged, muttering under her breath "Whatever floats your boat." She began to fiddle with the shell phone and grimaced when she discovered that the phone was locked with a four digit passcode. Tilting her head to the side, she met April's burning eyes directly and demanded, "Give me your passcode."

"No!" came the expected refusal.

"Princess, don't force me to hurt you. Damaged bait is far less appetizing."

April swallowed audibly, and Karai believed that April was cracking. However, that was not what she ended up discovering.

"Do your worst! I know you're going to use me to lure Don and the others into a trap! I'd rather die!" April spat angrily.

A wave of newfound respect and admiration for her enemy swelled in Karai. She grinned maliciously and handed the phone to the bowed Foot next to her and ordered, "Get this to headquarters. Father will want it thoroughly examined." When the Foot soldier left, Karai turned her attention back to the others that were both restraining and surrounding April. "Take the princess with you. I will let you know when and where to bring her later."

Karai watched as the Foot began to take April away, the fiery red-head walking determinedly on her own as she held tight to her pride as a kunoichi. She lightly tossed the tessan into the air, catching it when it began to fall. She had a slightly crazy idea as to how to make the turtles go frantic with worry before she returned their princess back to them. Confident the plan would work, she strode through the streets until she reached Murakami's Noodle Shop a few blocks away.

The blind owner was busy sweeping the dining area of his establishment, and Karai took a moment to appreciate the fact that the place was as clean as it was considering the owner couldn't see. He stopped when he heard her footsteps on the hardwood floor and turned toward her. A friendly smile appeared on his face as he hollered, "Welcome, my friends."

Karai looked at the clock on the wall, feeling quite proud for accurately guessing that the owner was a friend to the turtles. After all, it was late and no one but Leo and his brothers would be out and about in this part of town at 8 pm. 'Jackpot' she thought smugly. "I apologize, Murakami-san. I'm not who you think I am."

The expression on Murakami-san's face instantly transformed into one of complete horror as Karai's words hung in the room. "It's you!" he said with a gasp. His hands clenched his broom handle tightly, knuckles turning white as the man straightened up so he stood taller.

Karai regarded him thoughtfully as she noted the change in Murakami-san's demeanor. With a toss of her head she asked, "Isn't business slow after 6?" Silence filled the empty room and Karai could feel frustration burning within her. She wasn't used to being ignored, and she decided that she didn't like it. Her eyes narrowed and she growled, "You will answer every one of my questions! I have your friend April in my care!"

That got a reaction from the blind man. "You have April-chan?" A shudder passed through him while he took in deep breaths. "What do you want?"

"You're friends with the turtles, are you not?"

He hesitated for a moment before answering sullenly, "H-hai."

"I take it they were supposed to stop by here at some point tonight?"

His short nod was all the answer Karai needed. "Perfect. When they do arrive, tell them to meet me at the Bradford dojo right away." She slammed April's tessan on the table, smirking as the old man flinched visibly at the sound. She whirled around, striding gracefully across the freshly swept floor, only pausing just before the entrance to get in one last jab at the defeated chef. "Please remind them to hurry. I get bored easily and I'm sure they wouldn't want their princess to become my new toy."

Without waiting to hear whatever response would have greeted her, Karai took to the rooftops and felt her face brighten with excitement. She couldn't wait to see the expressions on their faces when they came after her to save _April_ …

Her chest tightened as a feeling similar to grief sliced through the carefully constructed barrier she kept around her heart. "Damn" she cursed silently, hating the fact that deep down in her heart she regretted how things had ended up between her and Leo. A furious blush colored her face a deep crimson as her mind started to consider how much of a relationship she desired. "It's not like I loved him! He was fun," she growled half-heartedly, her mind and heart racing.

After managing to calm her thoughts and slow her heart rate back down, Karai continued on toward where she was to come face to face with her prey. It didn't take her long to arrive, and she went straight to the upper window of the dojo, perfectly blending into the shadows as she stealthily broke in using her tanto knife.

She strode confidently into the center of the dark room, feeling perfectly calm and just the tiniest bit excited. Finding a comfortable chair in the corner, she sat down and crossed her legs as her eyes continued to adjust to the darkness. With a grin on her face, she whipped out her own cellphone and called HQ. "Is the princess there?" she asked the instant she heard a voice pick up on the other line.

She rolled her eyes and bobbed her head up and down as the voice explained all that had happened in the past few minutes and demanding to know where she was. Growing impatient, Karai snapped, "Quiet! I can do whatever I want, remember? Now I need everyone who was out with me earlier to come to the Bradford dojo immediately and to bring the princess."

There was a reluctantly obedient sound that emanated from the voice's lips, but Karai pretended not to hear it. With a mental shrug she ordered, "Make sure you bring the items. It's time for us to set the trap and catch a few turtles for my father." She hung up without waiting to hear if her orders would be obeyed, but she didn't have a doubt they would be. Everyone in the Foot feared her father, and since this was a matter that he held most dear to his heart, Karai knew that only a fool with a death wish would even dare to be the reason this mission fell through. Humming a Japanese lullaby she remembered from her childhood, Karai allowed herself to daydream and counted down the minutes until she saw Leonardo again.


	4. Chapter 4

Raphael's breath came in heavy pants as he and his brothers made their way to Murakami's Noodle Shop. He grinned when he noticed just how loose and smooth his muscles felt after their patrol tonight. He growled with pleasure as his mind went back to the Purple Dragons he had pounded into a dazed submission to "teach" them not to break into an electronics store again. 'They never learn.'

"Leoooo! Are we there yet?" Mikey's voice interrupted his train of thought.

"Not yet, Mikey." Leo's tired and slightly annoyed response came. Raph had to suppress a chuckle at how Fearless' patience was beginning to wear thin.

"According to my calculations, we have about 1.34 blocks and 2 meters until we get there."

Raph rolled his eyes. Of course Donnie had calculated the distance between their current position and Murakami's. After all, April had been the one to text them, reminding them not to get so caught up in "hitting people" that they forgot their monthly visit to their blind friend's business. When Donnie's phone buzzed with the incoming message, the science geek had been so beside himself that he had left himself open to an attack from behind by a Purple Dragon's heavy pipe. It was a good thing that Raph had seen the attack coming and tackled the offender to the ground before Don got hurt.

As much as Raph loved to taunt Don about his obvious feelings for April, he had to admit that seeing his smile filled him with the pride that only an older sibling could hold for their younger brother. Not that he'd ever let his brothers know that. Raph had a reputation to uphold.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Leonardo had stopped suddenly. Plowing ungracefully right into Leo caused the tense leader to stumble forward a few steps with a sharp hiss.

Raph felt the full force of his brother's heated glare and felt both defiance and embarrassment surge through him. "What's the big idea, Fearless?!" he growled, narrowing his eyes as he fought to maintain some amount of dignity.

"We're here." Leo stated calmly, already returning his attention to the noodle shop. Raph wasn't too sure, but he thought he saw the tiniest flash of anxiety in his brother's blue eyes. 'Something's up' he thought, keeping one eye fixed down below and the other eye fixed on his leader.

"Well I'm going," came Mikey's exuberant voice cutting through the tense atmosphere that had settled around them. Before Leo could get a word in edgewise, Mike had already jumped down and was rushing into Murakami's excitedly.

"I'm going too" Donnie exclaimed as he followed suit. Raph could tell by the grin on his face that Don was looking forward to spending some time with April.

Raph glanced at Leo's face, watching as frustration morphed into reluctant acceptance. "We can't leave them on their own, Leo" he said with a slight smirk. Without waiting for a response, Raph jumped down and shortly after he landed he heard Leo's familiar footsteps padding along behind him.

Just as he was about to enter the restaurant Donnie exclaimed, "KARAI HAS APRIL?!"

Raph felt his stomach turn to ice and he heard someone – he wasn't sure if it was he or Leo – suck in a sharp breath. His heart began to pound heavily as he felt his rage begin to flicker to life within him. A deep growl began to rumble in his throat as he shoved his way past his panicking younger brothers to stand right in front of Murakami-san who was seated on a stool.

"How could you?!" he spat angrily at the blind man. "We trusted you! Why would you betray us like this?!" His hands became tight fists as he began to shake violently with his anger, which only rose when he felt his eyes begin to burn with tears. Grabbing Murakami's collar, Raph hoisted the chef, who was protesting and struggling vainly to break free although Raph was too far gone to pay attention, and began preparing to take out his pain on the man whom he had trusted, believed to be a friend. Disgust raced through him as he grumbled to himself, "I knew we could never be friends with humans!"

"Hold it, Raphael!" Leo's voice rang out, containing the familiar authoritative tone that pervaded his voice whenever he was giving an order.

Raph hated that Leo's voice adopted that tone most whenever it was directed at him. He considered going ahead with pummeling the defenseless human, but he stopped when the unwanted memory of the last time Leo had used that tone flashed through his head. He reluctantly set the man back on the stool and turned around with a grumpy "humph!" so he could glare at the wall. 'As you wish, oh Fearless One' he thought bitterly.

He felt Leo's gaze sweep over him and then turn back to a very shaken Murakami-san. In a calm and much friendlier manner, Leo immediately went to work trying to rectify the situation and smoothing things over. Raph tried to ignore most of what was being said. He was certain Leo was blaming him for the outburst and that everything was his fault and blah blah blah. It wasn't until April's name was brought up that he began to tune back in to the conversation.

"So…about April…"

"That girl, Karai, she came by earlier. She said that she had April-chan and to meet her in the Bradford dojo."

"I see. Did Karai say anything else?"

There was a short moment of hesitation and Raph found himself turning around to stare the chef in the face. Finally, Murakami spoke, "She said to hurry otherwise April-chan would become her new toy."

Everyone stiffened at once and all the air left the room in a rush. Raph exchanged worried glances with his brothers. No one was able to speak, but eventually Murakami shuddered and began to apologize profusely for his blindness and utter uselessness. "I am so sorry, Turtle-san. I wish I could do more. If only I could see then I may have been able to keep April-chan from Karai."

Raph flinched as Leo fixed him with a stern glare. Raph knew what that look meant. A slight blush appeared on his face as he began to feel self-conscious and hyper-aware of all his brothers looking at him expectantly. With a hard swallow, Raph bowed and mumbled just loud enough for Murakami to hear, "I'm sorry. I take back everything I said. I thought you had sold us out to Karai. I was wrong."

He lifted his gaze and saw that Leo was wearing an approving smile and gave him a thumbs up. 'I'll get you back for this' he thought determinedly, although he wasn't really angry. He just didn't like that he had screwed up and Leo got an easy chance to look good.

"You all saved my life. I would never betray you." Murakami declared solemnly, seeming to feel better and even had a determined smile on his face.

"Thank you for everything, Murakami-san." Leo said while bowing respectfully.

Donnie had already started to head toward the door, "Can we go save April now?!"

"Of course we are!" Raph declared, his muscles tingling as he began imagining himself punching the daylights out of Karai.

"Ah yeah! Rescue time!" Mikey exclaimed in eager anticipation, rushing over toward Donnie to give the scientist a reassuring pat on the carapace.

Raph noticed that Leo was keeping silent and seemed to regarding all of them thoughtfully. Raph opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Murakami's desperate warning, "Be careful my friends."

"We always are, Murakami-san," came Leo's immediate and soft reply. Raph watched Leo's gaze linger on each of them as if he was trying to burn the image into his memory forever. Then Leo gave a smile and ordered, "Let's go guys!"

Raph let Leo push past him, uneasiness settling in his gut as he tried to get inside his brother's head. Donnie always mocked him and Mikey for being the "shell-brains" of the group, but the whole thinking thing just wasn't Raph's style. He left that for Leo and Donnie so he could make sure that no enemy laid a hand on them while they were coming up with the master plan. But that didn't mean he was clueless.

As he fell behind his brothers, Raph became increasingly distracted while he tried to figure out the source of his unease. 'He wouldn't be thinking what I think he's thinking…would he?' Raph thought, feeling his stomach seize as the horrid idea began to take root in his mind. His throat tightened, making breathing difficult as he watched Leo move ahead unflinchingly, leading them right to where Karai was. 'NO! He can't! Not again!'

Raph froze when Leo stopped, raising his hand to signal the others to keep quiet and alert. When a few tense seconds ticked by, Leo whispered, "Okay guys. We are most likely walking straight into a trap. Raph, you stay with Mikey. I'll stick with Don. The objective here is to save April and get out. If at all possible we want to avoid a big fight."

"What if we have to face Karai?" Mikey asked, his tone becoming serious.

Leo straightened his shoulders and boldly stated, "I will deal with Karai if we have to."

Raph, Don and Mike exchanged solemn glance with each other before giving Leo a brief nod. Leo gestured with hand signals that he and Don would go in first and Raph and Mike would follow in shortly afterward.

'Always the optimist,' Raph thought sullenly as Leo and Don set out to initiate the first step of Leo's plan. He felt Mikey start poking him in the plastron and growled, "What are you doing?"

"Just trying to get Mr. Grumpy Shell to go back to his normal angry self." A bona fide Mikey-grin plastered across his face, his light blue eyes shining with mischief.

Raph narrowed his eyes at the knucklehead's grinning face, unsure as to whether or not to pound Mikey into the ground for the taunt. He decided against it, but thwacked his brother's carapace in a good-natured way. "You –"

"APRIL!" Donnie's sharp scream burst through the still night, jolting Raph back into reality. Raph met Mikey's gaze full on, seeing his own concern and worry reflected in his baby brother's eyes. In silent agreement, they both charged in without a moment's hesitation.

When Raphael took in the situation around him, his blood began to boil. The first thing he saw was that Leo was alone, facing at least ten Foot plus Karai all by himself. "Where the shell is Donnie?" he grumbled, irritated that Don had apparently forgotten that he was supposed to stay with Leo so that this wouldn't happen.

"D is with that girl over there. Raph, you don't think she's…" Mikey muttered quietly as he pointed over to where Donnie and a familiar red headed girl in yellow shackled to a water pipe were. Only problem was that this girl was covered in injuries and her clothes were ripped to shreds. Almost as if…

Raph felt his heart begin to pound heavily as the fires of rage burned within him. He cast a glance over at where Leo was fighting Karai, both of them moving gracefully as their blades clashed. His hands began to twitch as he reached for his sais. Karai would pay for kidnapping and torturing their sister!

Raph took two steps toward Leo and Karai before the other Foot noticed that he and Mikey were even there. Suddenly Raph found himself staring into the masked faces of ten Foot, all of whom were getting into threatening positions, as if daring Raph to make the first attack. He licked his lips as he growled, "Bring it!"

Then Leo's authoritative voice butted in, "Raphael! No! Stick to the plan!"

Karai sniffed, "Do what your brother says, Raphael. Let the adults handle things over here."

Raph took another angered step toward them, desperately wanting to dish out some pain to get back at the Foot for what they did to April. He stopped when he heard Leo snap, "Raph! Help Donnie and Mikey with April! Now!"

Raph reluctantly turned around, hissing, "I'll pummel you later, Karai." He dashed over to where Donnie and Mikey were frantically trying to use anything they could to unshackle April. Raph rolled their eyes at all the discarded items they had already tried. Rocks, broken tools, sticks and other random objects lay strewn about them. 'They seriously thought blunt objects would get the job done?'

As if Donnie had the ability to hear thoughts, he hissed, "Of course we didn't! But we were seeing if making a temporary chisel would work!"

Raph exchanged a wide-eyed look with Mikey, shrugged, drew one of his sais and muttered, "Use this." He had turned his attention back to where Leo was dueling Karai. Something about the way the Foot were completely ignoring him left a bad taste in his mouth. 'This seems almost…too easy.'

"I got it!" Donnie's excited voice interrupted Raph's thoughts. Don was gathering an unconscious April in his arms, trying to be gentle and not jostle her more than necessary. Upon closer examination April didn't seem to be as injured as they had all feared. But nothing would be certain until they got April back to the lair so Don could check on her.

"Leo! We've got April!" Mikey yelled out, sounding more upbeat than he did a few moments ago when he first saw April chained up.

Raph saw Leo shove Karai back a few feet and heard his brother reply, "Good! Now get out of here!"

Raph noticed that Leo was panting heavily and looking exhausted. He took a step forward and growled, "Not without you, Leo!"

"Your brother is right, Leo." Karai teased with a smirk on her face. "They won't be leaving without you."

Leo's eyes narrowed and he growled, "Karai, I warned you what would happen if you went after my brothers."

Raph started to move forward, wanting to lend his brother a hand. This was turning out almost like that night two weeks ago. If his hunch was right, Leo was going to…! "No!" he whispered, sending up a silent prayer to anyone who may have been listening that he was wrong.

Sure enough, Leo's next words proved that Raph's instincts were right on the money. "Raph, get everyone out of here. I'll buy you as much time as I possibly can."

That damned authoritative tone was back in Leo's voice! Shaking his head stubbornly, Raph argued, "No, Leo! We're not leaving you again!" He felt Mikey and Donnie stand behind and next to him, each giving Leo the same pleading look that they wore two weeks ago.

Leo seemed to wilt just a tiny bit under the combined powers of his brothers' earnest gazes. Raph was thrilled, this meant that Leo would reconsider his stupid self-sacrifice plan and come up with a better one.

While Leo was distracted, Karai seized her chance. Whipping out a blowgun, she aimed it right for the blue-clad warrior.

Raph saw it coming and he yelled, "Leonardo!"

Leo turned back around just in time to see the dart coming straight at him. It hit him square in the chest, just above his plastron and he began to stumble around almost instantly. Raph noticed that his eyes were completely blank before he finally collapsed to the floor in a heap. Raph's stomach dropped as the thought 'Is he dead?' crossed his mind.

Raph was suddenly aware that April was thrust into his arms and Don was yelling something about hurrying and getting out of there and that he was going to check on Leo to make sure that Leo still had a pulse. Raph mumbled a coherent "muh?" as his brain struggled to process the chaos that was surrounding them. Time slowed down as Foot soldiers on all sides were whipping out their own blowguns.

"Raphael! Get Mikey and April out of here! I'll be right behind you!" he vaguely heard Donatello yell out.

Raph jumped when he felt a hand wrap around his wrist, his green eyes huge as saucers as he mumbled, "Mikey?"

"Let's go bro! Donnie will get Leo out! We have to get April out for him!"

Giving his head a shaky nod, Raph instinctively evaded incoming darts on all sides as he followed his baby brother out of the disastrous mess their rescue mission had become. His thoughts were a hazy blur and he tried not to think about how he had abandoned Leo and Donnie in order to ensure their mission was a success. 'This is almost exactly like last time.'

After he and Mikey reached a rooftop the next block over, they stopped, both of them frantically scanning the shadows for their brothers. Raph was counting his heartbeats, and when thirty went by without any sign of either Leo or Don, panic began to set in once again. His mouth became dry and Raph felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead.

Finally Mikey broke the tense silence, "You don't think Karai…do you?"

Raph cringed at the teary note that pervaded his normally cheerful brother's voice. Unable to swallow, Raph forced his thick tongue to form words, "Stay here, Mikey. I'm going to head back and check on them. They probably went the wrong way or something."

"O-okay."

Raph forced his body to move despite how unwilling it was. He desperately wanted to believe that Leo and Don had gone a different direction and were laying low until Karai and the Foot gave up and left. He had to stay strong, at least for Mikey's sake. Of course, his brain was yelling at him, insulting him for being so naïve as to even believe for a moment that his brothers weren't in danger. 'I'm such a moron!'

He stopped when he eventually reached a building adjacent to where he and Mikey had abandoned Leo and Donnie to the Foot. Voices reached his ears and, both startled and curious, Raph crouched down low and crawled to the edge of the rooftop. His heart leapt into his throat when he heard Karai's proud sneer hang in the still air.

"Yes Father. I have successfully captured the turtles. We will bring them to headquarters right away for your inspection."

Raph flinched when he heard what sounded like van doors closing and then the screeching of tires grated on his nerves. "No…" he whispered, despair piercing his chest right near where his heart lay. How was he going to explain this to Mikey? To Master Splinter?

Certain that no one was around, Raph stood, determined to make it up to everyone he had let down. He was the protector. Because of his pointless hesitations, not only had Leo been shot but Don had been captured as well. He searched within himself, seeking the source of his strength. When he found it, he grabbed a tight hold, making a fist and holding it in front of his face as he snarled, "I promise I will bring you both back home if it's the last thing I do! No one will keep me from my brothers! You hear me, Foot Clan?! You'll all pay for this!"

As he turned around, feeling his vow energize his body and mind he growled ominously, "Especially you, Karai!"


	5. Chapter 5

Saki paced his room, his muscles twitching and quivering with nervous excitement. Karai had just reported that she was indeed successful in capturing his worst enemies. A malicious grin formed on his thin lips as he pondered what exactly that meant. "Finally," he began in a low whisper, "I can fulfill my destiny by destroying these cursed _freaks_."

He had been vaguely aware that the girl April was in the Foot's care for a short time. But he had paid her no mind. His subordinates however had shown great interest in the fiery redhead, and he let them do whatever they pleased. As long as he had his fun with the turtles, he didn't care who suffered. And if the girl's terrified screams were any indicator, she was indeed suffering.

A small shudder made its way down his spine and Saki had to wonder if this was due to guilt for not helping the poor girl or if it was due to the excitement that continued to build within his body. He allowed himself to ponder each possibility carefully, but ultimately decided it was the excitement. After all why should he feel guilty over things that were being done to one of his enemies? It didn't matter that he had immediately thought the screams were coming from his daughter, or that they reminded him of the way his beloved Tang Shen had cried out just before her unfortunate demise.

He grimaced as his thoughts became far too pensive for his liking. He was a ruthless leader and a formidable warrior, not some weak man that quailed before flashbacks and memories. With an irritated snort, he approached his bed and forced himself to relax and regain his calm composure. As he closed his eyes, he felt the darkness claim him. Unlike how he had done in the past, he allowed it to swallow him. He had grown to accept these visions as a testament to the crimes the turtles had done and he would make sure that they indeed paid for their transgressions.

When he opened his eyes, he found that this time he was an outside observer in a weirdly grayscale world. He was cautiously curious of this change. Previously he would find himself in the body of an alternate skin that was at once both frightening and familiar to him. He only considered it for the briefest moment before deciding that he needed to find out what sins the turtles had committed against his fallen brethren.

It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. Or more accurately, he found what looked to be a huge version of himself fighting what looked to be…twelve turtles?! "What?" he gasped in surprise, "There are twelve of them?" It looked like they were surrounded by that pathetic version of himself, that damned rat, and a strange girl who Saki thought he should recognize but he couldn't place her. And all of them were standing behind a huge robot that held a Kraang inside it.

His eyes narrowed as he refocused his attentions on the twelve turtles. He had seen eight of them before in previous visions, but there were four that looked like they truly belonged in this black and white world. What continued to surprise him was how the turtles all interacted as if they knew each other. "They are all in cahoots! That explains everything," He growled bitterly, furious at how his enemies had cheated him all year of a fair fight. 'And _they_ claimed that they were honorable soldiers. I'll teach them a thing or two about _real_ honor.'

He woke up instantly, tightening his hands into fists as he launched himself from where he lay. Pacing his room, his crazed mind shuffled through the facts he had just acquired. "So they think they can contact the other turtles and get away with it, do they? I'll make them tell me exactly where they are! Then I'll destroy all of them and wipe these pests off the map!" After all, that was the only way he could imagine how these reptiles had foiled all his plans over and over again for the past year. Every single time they had somehow managed to wreck his careful strategies they had been cheating! A deep growl rumbled from within the depths of his chest. He'd make them pay when they arrived.

Suddenly, an idea popped into his head as he remembered an invention he had ordered his Research & Development team to create. Licking his lips, he stormed out of his room and made his way over to the R&D lab, his anticipation building with each step.

When he entered the lab, his scientists immediately stopped what they were doing and directed their attention to their disheveled leader. They all bowed and promptly greeted him, "How wonderful of you to stop by Master Shredder."

Saki strode over to his lead scientist, ignoring the nervous way the man shifted his weight on the balls of his feet. "Tell me what progress have you made with the devices," he demanded gruffly.

"Well," the scientist began, "we have completely constructed two of them. But the test trials have not been so successful. In our volunteers it only created the hive mentality 50% of the time but registered no activity the other 50%."

A sour expression crept onto Saki's face as the information sunk in. "I'm disappointed, Richard. I expected more out of you." His gaze turned cold and he saw the man swallow nervously.

"I am sorry, Master Shredder. I will not fail you again."

"Make sure you do not, Richard."

Saki whirled around, disappointment coming off of him in waves. These devices he had commissioned were the result of constantly seeing his men defeated by mutants. His theory was that if he could have them all move as one, like the turtles seemed to be able to do instinctively on some level, then they would stand a better chance. Especially if _he_ was at the controls, then he knew that those abominations wouldn't be able to put up a fight.

As soon as he walked out of the lab, he saw Karai heading straight toward him. A grin formed on his lips. He knew that the turtles were finally here. Captured. Held prisoner for his own enjoyment. "Karai, I see you have returned."

Karai bowed her head and stated, "Yes, Father."

"You have brought the turtles, I presume?"

"Yes, Father. Leonardo and Donatello are being transported from the van to their cell as we speak."

Saki paused, his eyes narrowing into slits as he pressed, "Only two? I thought I sent you to capture four."

He saw Karai flinch as she hurriedly responded, "Yes, Father. But Raphael and Michelangelo managed to escape with April."

Saki clenched his fist as the blades slid out from his gauntlet. He approached the girl before him, his tone becoming dark as he growled, "I warned you that failure comes with a stiff penalty, child."

Karai visibly swallowed, fixed Saki with a solemn stare and whispered, "Even for your daughter?"

Saki stopped, frozen where he was as Karai's words echoed in his brain. He withdrew the blades back into his gauntlet as horror began to fill him. He had almost…! No. He didn't want to believe it. He refused to. He spun around, facing the other direction. Maybe if he didn't look at her sad face he could pretend it never happened.

An uneasy silence settled over the pair, filling the hallway with a tense energy that seemed to serve as a warning to everyone else in the area to hurriedly walk away in the opposite direction. After what seemed to be an eternity, Karai managed to find her voice, "Would you like me to escort you to where they are being held, Father?"

"Yes!" Saki replied a bit too enthusiastically.

After a respectful bow, Karai turned and led the way. While he followed her, Saki mentally berated himself. He had never threatened his daughter's wellbeing like that before. Sure, he had lost his patience with her independence streak and had disciplined her accordingly. But never had the hidden blades in his gauntlet made an appearance. A shudder passed through him as he imagined what _could_ have happened had Karai not been so bold as to question him.

So lost in thought, he hardly noticed when Karai came to a stop in front of a small room with a door that contained a tiny window to allow someone to peer inside. Saki returned to full awareness when Karai backed away, her head bowed and muttered, "We have arrived, Father."

Regret stabbed him in the heart as he heard the defeated tone that betrayed Karai's true feelings. Drawing in a deep breath, he chose to ignore it and peered through the window to see his prize first-hand.

Satisfaction welled up from the depths of his soul as he took in the unconscious forms that were shackled to the walls and floor. They had been stripped of their weapons and had only their masks. It was a common courtesy and tradition not to remove the mask of an enemy ninja, but Saki never was one for tradition. He'd fix that soon enough. His eye glinted maliciously as a brilliant plan began to take form in his mind.

Stepping away from the window, he turned his attention back on his daughter. "Fetch Richard and tell him to bring the devices. We just happen to have the right amount of perfect test subjects."

With a respectful bow, Karai uttered, "Yes, Father," and strode away.

Saki watched her go in silence. He knew that she'd get over it eventually. He had raised her and taught her to be stronger than most other women. With that, he turned his attention back to the sleeping prisoners.

He stealthily entered the room, stealthily opening the door so as to not wake his guest. 'After all,' he thought in amusement, 'it's rude.' He continued forward until he stood right in front of the blue one. He towered over the still turtle, his shadow covering the freak like a blanket. He dimly remembered that this one was called Leonardo, but he didn't really care. They were abominations. Mutants. _Freaks!_ They had no rights as far as he was concerned. Especially since they were his sworn enemies.

As silent as a snake, Saki removed the blue mask from his prisoner. The turtle seemed vaguely aware that something was "off" but the effect of the tranquilizer that held him under was still too strong. Saki smirked as he saw the faintest twitch, but nothing more. "Pathetic," he spat at the sword-wielder, clutching the mask tightly in his fist.

Saki turned to face the purple one and contemplated unmasking this one as well. He decided against it. Seeing his companion dishonored would be more than enough for this one to behold. After all, it wasn't so much the purple one he had a grudge against. He had hoped that the red one was Donatello, but alas he was not so lucky. The blue and red one had gotten in the way too many times.

As he left the room and closed the door behind him, he saw that Karai was on her way back with Richard who was carrying two devices that looked like harnesses. "Perfect timing, Karai."

Karai paused just before reaching Saki and her gaze was fixed on the blue cloth that he held tightly in his fist. A look of morbid understanding settled upon her features and as she stepped aside, she announced, "I have brought Richard, Father."

Richard's gaze shifted between Saki and Karai nervously before he finally spoke, "Master Shredder. These are the devices you asked for." He placed the harness-like contraptions on the ground before Saki and quickly backed away to allow Saki to inspect them.

Saki circled the contraptions curiously, his gaze roving over each individual wire and strap. "Explain how it works, Richard."

"There is a chip inside the device that receives signals from a computer via wireless communication. The device then sends these signals through the millimeter sized 'teeth' it has into the subject's nervous system and will cause the individual to perform whatever motion the computer commanded."

Saki regarded the devices thoughtfully and then ordered, "I want you to place these on our guests. It's time to see if they can work better on mutants than on humans."

"Very well, Master Shredder."

With that, Richard gathered up the devices and slipped inside the room. Saki doubted that the scientist ever thought he would be installing them onto turtles, but he had no doubt that Richard would pull it off. No one had the guts to fail around here.

"Father, may I ask what you plan to do with Leonardo's mask?"

Alarmed at the question, Saki turned on his daughter, his face flushing with anger. "No you may not, Karai!"

Her gaze dropped to the floor, and Saki felt regret and a twinge of guilt settle in his stomach. Drawing in a deep breath, he growled bitterly, "He'll get it back. I don't plan on keeping this ratty old piece of trash."

"Very well, Father. I was just curious," came her clipped response.

"I'm going to go back to the lab. Wait here and make sure Richard doesn't fail to complete his task. When the prisoners have awakened, come get me and then you will be dismissed."

"Yes, Father."

Saki began to walk back to the lab, still clutching the fabric tightly as if his life depended on it. When did reach his destination, he walked right over to where another scientist, Paul, was performing some chemical experiment. Saki decided to ignore the fact that Paul didn't properly greet him the instant he approached. He had learned the hard way not to startle the man when an experiment was being performed.

After whatever Paul was creating in a flask became a bright yellow solution, Paul acknowledged Saki's presence. "Master Shredder. What can I do for you today? It's not often that you frequent our humble laboratory so many times in an hour."

Saki's eyes narrowed. Paul's tone was slimy and his voice had a bit of a whiny pitch to it, giving him the impression that this man was a human snake. He never liked Paul, but no one else seemed to thrive in these kinds of work conditions, so he had to keep him around. "I need to soak this" he revealed the blue bandana "in a chemical that will cause burns, but won't kill or cause the subject to go blind."

Paul grinned in a sick way, nearly purring with some deranged sense of delight, "I see the rumors are true, Master Shredder. You have finally captured the turtles. My cousin John will be most pleased. He has been rooting for you all along. Not to say I haven't, but I'm more skeptical."

Irritation pricked at Saki, tempting him to just kill the scientist but he restrained himself. "Do you know of a chemical or not?"

"Hmm…well I know of several that can cause burns, but most of them will also result in blindness if they get into the eye. Sodium hydroxide will probably do what you want if it's in the proper concentration."

"Mix it up for me then."

"Very well, Master Shredder. I'll get to it right away."

Saki waited impatiently as the scientist went to work creating the mixture. He stared at the cloth in his hands and grinned darkly as he thought, 'I hope you are sleeping well, _turtle,_ because soon enough not even that will help you escape from me.'


	6. Chapter 6

Leonardo slowly felt himself return to consciousness, his muscles twitching as whatever sedatives had been keeping him still finally worked their way out of his system. Yawning loudly, he vaguely noticed that his throat was dry and it felt sore when he tried to swallow. Still in a half-awake state of consciousness, he muttered, "Need water."

His eyes still closed, he didn't need to open them until he reached his bedroom door at least. It was part of how he trained himself to be able to maneuver in complete darkness. He'd keep his eyes closed and walk around his room and even sometimes the dojo or rest of the lair. At first he would bump into things, much to Sensei's and Donnie's chagrin because he'd either break something or hurt someone (usually himself). But eventually he got to the point where he could do it in his room and dojo. The rest of the lair was a hit or miss because success was usually influenced by his brother's antics.

When he tried to move this time, he found his progress immediately halted by some form of restraint. Growing irritated at being caught in one of Mikey's pranks, he growled, "Michelangelo! I'm going to count to three. If you don't untie me by then, I'll let Raph have his way with you." He swore he could almost hear his baby brother's chuckle when he silently counted down in his head. '3…2…1…That's time!'

He opened his eyes, expecting to see the familiar walls and ceiling of home. Instead, he found himself surrounded by a pristine whiteness that assaulted his still adjusting eyes. Blinking repeatedly, Leo's vision began to clear and a sense of dread settled in his stomach. 'Where am I? This isn't home. It's too bright. Where is every – '

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he spotted a familiar figure to his right strung up in chains. 'Donnie? No… No! This has to be a dream. This isn't real. C'mon Leo! WAKE UP!' Biting down on his lip, he let the sharp pain center him as he tasted the bitter and metallic blood that ran across his tongue. When he opened his eyes and found that he was still in the unfamiliarity, disappointment and reluctant acceptance filled him.

A small smirk formed on his face as he thought, 'Now I can say that I've officially been held prisoner. Just like Captain Ryan has.' For some small reason, the vague similarity gave him just the tiniest bit of courage. He let out a short laugh as he noticed that his situation was, even down to the way he was currently restrained, similar to the time the Aratrichons had captured his childhood hero before Captain Ryan boldly made his escape.

In that episode, Captain Ryan had managed to pull hard enough on the chains keeping his arms bound to the wall behind him. The metal the Aratrichons used were not as strong as steel, and the Captain had no trouble breaking free. An idea formed in Leo's head as he glanced at his arms that were elevated so they were level with his shoulders. Shrugging them, he decided that he might as well give it a shot.

A strange harness like contraption did make things rather interesting for him as he began focusing his strength in his arms. It was almost like the device could feed off of his energy, because no matter how much his muscles tensed in readiness he couldn't help but feel weak. At best his attempts to break the chains, which he could've sworn were of some metal that was stronger than steel for all the good his effort did him, were like that of a small child trying to get back a toy from a much taller bully. It was hopeless.

Sighing, he drooped his head onto his plastron in thought. As he began to mull over the earlier events, he realized that it was odd that his brother hadn't stirred yet. Donatello was a notoriously light sleeper, even more so than Master Splinter who seemed to be able to pull out of a meditative trance if he even caught a hushed whisper that promised trouble. Leo's attempts to pull free from the chains hadn't been so completely ineffective that they hadn't produced more than enough noise to wake his brother.

In earlier years, Leo had often used this to his advantage when it came to perfecting the stealth technique. Or as Leo called it: "Stealth Mode." Donnie had a habit of falling asleep in his lab, something he continues to do, but the scientist would always sleep with a pencil in his left hand. It took Leo more than four years of training to finally be able to sneak up on his sleeping brother, take the pencil and leave the lab without waking him. That was the day that Leo decided he had perfected the art of stealth and he remembered feeling like he had accomplished the greatest success he'd ever manage.

Under normal circumstances, Leo knew that Donnie would've woken up by now. And that worried him. The last thing he remembered was that he was offering to stay behind to buy time for his brothers to get April back home safely, and then Karai... "Did she drug us?" he wondered out loud. His head throbbed as he tried to remember exactly what happened that night. Although it wasn't clear and only came back in pieces, he was able to start piecing together what had happened earlier.

He remembered going to Murakami's for their regular visit. He remembered finding a distraught chef. He remembered going to the Bradford dojo. He remembered demanding that Karai return April to them unharmed. He remembered seeing April, his _sister_ , in less than perfect condition. He remembered Donnie making a break for her, but he was surrounded by the Foot Clan. He remembered fighting Karai as she kept him separated from his brothers. And that was it.

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening pulled him out of his thoughts and he narrowed his eyes warily when he spotted a familiar kunoichi approaching him. Trying to ignore the way his heart skipped, he spoke harshly, "What do you want, Karai?"

Karai hardly acknowledged Leo's question, preferring to stare at him in silence. A flicker of some emotion ran across her face before it was almost immediately concealed, giving her the expression of someone assigned a bothersome task. After having regarded him silently, she finally spoke, "You look different without your mask."

Leo blinked at her a few times before asking, "I'm sorry?"

Karai strode forward and leaned toward him, whispering, "Your mask. Are you telling me you haven't noticed? Some ninja you are."

He pondered that for a moment, letting her hint sink in. Now that she mentioned it, the area around his eyes felt very exposed. Leo's blue eyes hardened as he glared directly into hers, "What'd you do with it?" A long time ago, Sensei had told him that the mask symbolized honor. That's why ninja only unmasks themselves, it was a sign of disrespect for it to be done by another without permission.

For a brief moment, hurt flashed through her eyes and she forced out, "What makes you think I have anything to do with it?"

"Because I know you," Leo said without hesitation.

Karai flinched backward, her face unreadable as she stared at him with cold brown eyes. He met her gaze, keeping wary in case she struck while he was defenseless. He hated feeling this vulnerable. And he hated that she had to see him like this. Beaten. Disgraced.

"Leo? Where...?" a small voice suddenly broke the uneasy silence.

Forgetting all about Karai, Leo instantly turned toward his brother and began pouring out words as relief flowed through him, "Don! Oh thank goodness. Are you alright? You don't look like you've been hurt too badly. I -"

"I see Donnie is awake too." Karai interrupted stiffly, bringing Leo's and Donnie's attention directly toward her.

Donnie could only blink blearily as Leo demanded, "What happens now?"

Karai flicked her hair as her trademark smirk made its first appearance of the conversation, "It means I must report to my father. He has something...special in mind for the both of you."

Leo stared at her intently. He didn't like the sound of that. Anything that Shredder had planned for him and his brother would definitely not be pleasant. But he kept an indifferent expression. His pride refused to allow her to see just how much guilt and dread was settling in the pit of his stomach. Especially not her.

Just as she reached the door Karai spoke in a voice so quiet that Leo had to strain his ears to listen. "I had nothing to do with it." And then she left, leaving more questions than answers. Especially from Donatello.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know," came his immediate response.

"What's the plan?"

"I don't know yet," he responded without a second thought.

"Do you think we're going to be okay?"

"I don't know." He was starting to feel exasperated with all the questions.

"Do you think April is going to be okay?" Donnie was starting to sound suspicious.

Leo hesitated for a moment before answering, "Of course she is."

"Leonardo!" Donnie snapped harshly.

"What?" Leo turned his attention away from the door he had been staring at since Karai left.

"You are a horrible liar, you know that?"

Leo grinned, "You're just too smart to see through them."

Donnie didn't seem to buy it as he spoke flatly, "Whatever you say, Leo."

A small moment of silence passed between them before Donnie sighed, "Answer me honestly, Leo. Do you really think April will be alright? I mean, you don't think that she...do you?"

Leo's blood began to boil as what Donnie was insinuating sank in. His tone was stiff as he replied, "I'm sure she'll be alright, Don. Raph and Mike wouldn't have let anything happen to her. And she's with Sensei. Besides that, she's a part of our family now. In case you haven't noticed, we are a family of ninja." Leo hoped that he sounded more convincing to Donnie than he sounded to himself because deep down, Leo wasn't all that sure April would be alright.

After all, this time April had been held captive by their human enemies. The Foot. It was completely different from when she was being held by the Kraang. And Leo bit his tongue when he considered the differences between humans and Kraang. Whereas the Kraang had her hooked up to a variety of machines and pipes, it was apparent that the Foot did other things to her. While the Kraang certainly weren't gracious hosts, they never marked her like the way she was when they saw her. All bruised and her clothing...it wasn't right and it reminded Leo of some of the many stories Sensei had told them when they were younger.

These stories involved everything from "humans will kidnap you" to "humans will experiment on you". At the time, Leo hadn't put much more consideration into those lessons besides chastising Mikey for attempting to go out and meet a real-life human in the middle of the night. After all, they were only stories. But now that he was the leader, he understood just what Master Splinter had meant. Just about everyone they had met since going topside had wanted a piece of them. He hated to let himself think about what would happen if he had failed to keep his brothers safe. He chastised himself for his naivety now. 'I failed my brothers. I have to think of something. Of some way to make this right. I _have_ to protect Donnie.'

In a flash, an idea came to him that made his muscles tense in anticipation. He knew what he had to do. He'd have to keep Shredder's attention on him at all times. He'd have to buy enough time for Raph and Mikey to come save them. Leo began mentally preparing himself for the challenges he knew would be right ahead.

He was startled when a tingling sensation began in the back of his neck. With a deep breath, Leo understood somehow that Shredder would make his appearance soon. "Donatello," he heard his voice take on the authoritative tone that Mikey loved to call his 'leader voice', "I'm going to make sure Shredder doesn't lay a hand on you."

"Leo - "

"Whatever happens, do not say a word or interfere."

"But - "

"Well, _turtles_. I hope I didn't interrupt anything." Shredder's menacing voice cut Donnie's protest off before he could finish.

Leo began to shiver as he felt the Shredder's cold dark stare focus on him. 'Stop shaking! Stop shaking! Stop shaking!' He yelled at himself, determined to get his fear back under control. He refused to give Shredder the pleasure of seeing him falter. He glanced over at Donnie's unsure expression, and found that his own fears were reflected in Donnie's brown eyes. 'I promised. I won't let Shredder lay a hand on my brother." He gave Shredder a smirk as he felt his courage return to him, which didn't seem to please the Head of the Foot Clan.

Shredder's eyes narrowed as he approached Leo, "Well _Blue_. I'm glad to see that you haven't lost your spirit."

Leo's heart raced when the Shredder leaned in to him, his nose just inches away from Leo's face. He suppressed a shudder that threatened to ripple its way through him. He held his tongue however. There was no reason to start any trouble since his plan to hold Shredder's attention was working for now.

"So where are the others?" Shredder asked curiously.

Leo's eyes narrowed the slightest bit, but otherwise he remained stoic. At least he appeared to be for those in the outside world. On the inside, his heart pounded heavily. Shredder was too close. Way too close.

"Answer the question, _freak_! Where are the others?!"

Out of the corner of Leo's eye he spotted Donnie watching him anxiously. While trying to reassure his brother through silent cues, Leo suddenly felt the hands grab him by the chin and he was forced to look into Shredder's face. He had never been this close to him before, and everything about it bothered him.

Shredder spat, "I won't tolerate being ignored by an abomination such as you! Now answer the question! Or I'll make you talk! And trust me when I say you won't like it."

Leo stared directly into Shredder's eyes, weighing the pros and cons of each choice carefully. On the one hand, if he remained silent he could potentially be putting Donnie's life in danger. If he spoke, then he could be putting the rest of his family in peril. Neither option seemed all that appealing, especially if he considered the possibility that Shredder wouldn't spare Donnie if he spoke. There was only one option. Make sure to seem like the bigger problem without answering Shredder's question. "Try me," he teased.

Much to Leo's surprise, Shredder grinned back at him and whispered, "Oh don't worry. I plan to."

Leo watched in wonder as Shredder withdrew a remote and…his mask? Anger settled in Leo's belly as he considered the sight before him. 'Karai gave it to him?! Like I was a trophy?! Something to be won?' He had never felt so betrayed before. The only time he could think of that came close was when they broke into the Worldwide Genome Project and she created the mutant Justin only to leave them to clean up after her.

Shredder's grin grew wider as Leo continued to stare at him in bewilderment. "I'm glad you recognize this" he held the blue cloth with Karai's tanto knife, waving it in front of Leo's face like a flag.

Leo glanced at the mask then back at Shredder's face and smirked, "I've been wondering where that was." He wasn't entirely sure, but something about the way the Shredder refrained from touching it disturbed him. The color was slightly off too. He didn't think his mask was always that particularly darker shade of blue.

"I am feeling generous, _turtle_. I will return this to you."

Leo stared at him in silence. This was unusual. A part of him was relieved that he'd have his mask back, but an even larger part of him was screaming that it was a trap. He never thought he'd be torn when it came to his mask that was as much a part of him as his beloved katana. He yearned for the familiar touch of fabric against his skin. But this whole situation felt off.

Apparently, Leo's silence was taken as acceptance because the Shredder instantly brought the mask closer to him. To Leo, it seemed like the Shredder himself was going to put it on him. Alarms went off in Leo's mind and his ninja instincts took over. He should definitely NOT allow this at any cost. His eyes glazed and he snapped at the Shredder's hand, barely missing as the man's reflexes saved him while both the cloth and tanto knife fell to the floor.

A slap across the cheek brought Leo back from the 'ninja high' and he found himself the center of attention. While he was thrilled that Shredder was ignoring Donnie for the most part, he wasn't so sure he enjoyed the murderous look that the armored man was giving him. His cheek stung, but that wasn't as big of a deal to him. He quickly glanced at Donnie who, judging from the look in his brown eyes, seemed to be at war with himself.

'Don't say a word' Leo mouthed, trying to help Donnie calm down by giving him an order to follow. It seemed to help his brother somewhat, but it didn't change the fact that his brother was at his limit of obedience. Leo was suddenly grateful that it wasn't Raph or Mikey who were in here with him. Both of them had the hardest time following Leo's orders, but Leo could almost always count on Donnie to follow his lead.

"YOU!" The Shredder's angry shout brought Leo's attention from his brother back to the obviously enraged Foot Master. Leo watched Shredder grab the remote and point it directly toward him as his deep voice growled, "You forget yourself, _freak_! No one gets away with attempting to bite the hand of Oroku Saki! NO ONE! Especially not an abomination like _you_!"

Leo swallowed nervously. This was definitely not good. He couldn't help his ninja instincts. They were too ingrained into him. They were just reflexive responses that were drilled into his head for as long as he could remember by his sensei. Since his arms were otherwise unavailable, he only had one way to defend himself. "Well, if you didn't want to be bitten you should've kept your hands away from me," he snapped.

An eerie calm settled over them. Shredder's face even mellowed out some, although Leo could still feel the fire that burned in his gaze. Leo blinked a few times as he realized he said that out loud. Dread settled into the pit of his stomach as the silence filled the room. 'Uh oh' was all he could think when the Shredder grinned, and pushed a button on the remote.

At once, a tingling sensation crept through him, starting from the tips of his fingers and toes before moving inward. Leo's eyes widened in alarm as it became more and more intense as the sensations converged in his torso. He had never experienced anything like this before, and at best the only way he could think to describe it was as if his entire body had fallen asleep and was being forced to wake up all at once.

His thoughts scrambled, Leo figured it must have something to do with the way the harness was working. But he couldn't be sure because it was difficult to think about anything except for the way his nerves were bombarding his brain with signals. He didn't know a lot about the way the nervous system worked, that was more Donnie's deal, but he knew enough to understand that the brain can only handle so many stimuli before it shuts down the less important functions. This bothered him immensely, and Leo tried to calm himself with deep breaths, but it didn't stop the panic that threatened to pull him under.

"What are you doing to him?!" Donnie's voice was filled with distress, and Leo cursed himself for losing his composure.

Shredder's gaze stayed fixed on Leo as he replied, "I'm going to teach him a lesson. No one refuses my generosity and gets away with it!"

Donnie scoffed, "What generosity? You've done nothing but –"

"Silence Donatello!" Leo interrupted his brother before Donnie could say anything that could bring him into the line of fire. He found that by mentally chanting he could maintain his level of focus even when his brain had trouble finding something more important than the sensory overload. 'Just keep Donnie safe. Keep him safe. Keep my little brother safe.'

"I see you have regained your tongue. How amusing. My men weren't able to speak for nearly ten minutes when I activated the devices on them. They would sputter for a while but when they regained their speech they'd say they were too overwhelmed by the needles stimulating their nerves to force words. And here you are able to speak within five minutes. Is it because you're a freak? Or is it because of your comrade?" Shredder mused darkly.

Leo didn't know how to answer that, not that he particularly wanted to. The tingling was dying down somewhat, but it was still hard to focus on anything else. He just knew that if he hadn't interrupted Donnie, then he would be in danger.

Without waiting for an answer, Shredder gestured toward the abandoned cloth on the floor, grinning sadistically as he commented, "If you don't want my hands anywhere near you, then you should put your own mask on."

If Leo had ominous feelings about the mask before, then they were multiplied here. This was just as wrong as the Shredder putting the mask on him. It didn't make sense, but he was decidedly against being reunited with the cloth. "No thank you. I appreciate the offer but –"

Leo stopped short when he realized the Shredder was freeing his arms. This was definitely strange, but if their captor was going to let them go, then Leo had an obligation to get his brother out. He'd have to move quickly. Shredder wasn't going to leave himself open for very long. 'I'll have to go for a knockout right off the bat. And hope that he isn't expecting it.' Leo bided his time until the Shredder was almost done with his second arm and he braced himself for what he would have to do. 'In 3…2…1…NOW!'

But nothing happened. Leo was dumbfounded. Why weren't his arms responding to him? 'C'mon arms! Move! This chance! No!' He stared at his arms, completely beside himself with despair. He failed, but he didn't know how. Then he heard a sinister laugh erupt from his enemy.

"Revel in your despair, _mutant_. Do you want to know just why your arms aren't working? Do you think I'm a fool? That'd I'd let the source of my misery and torment go free? Hah! You are at my complete mercy. See this?" he moved the remote back and forth in front of Leo, "This lets me control every muscle in your body. You can't do anything unless I allow it."

Leo didn't like the sound of that. His gaze rested on the cloth that lay in front of him and his stomach dropped to the floor. If what Shredder said was true, then Leo wouldn't be able to resist Shredder's desire for him to wear the mask, no matter how much Leo's instincts warned him.

The Shredder held the remote thoughtfully, as if pondering what buttons to press, before he growled, "However, I have since found something infinitely more entertaining than using this device. Here's the deal, _turtle_. Either you put the mask on willingly, or I will force you to kill your companion over there."

"You're bluffing!" Donnie shouted. "If you could force him to do anything you would just force him to put the mask on!" Leo met Donnie's frantic gaze and was taken aback by the pleading note in his voice, "Don't do it, Leo. It's a trap. You know it is. There has to be a way for you to fight against whatever control the harness imposes. That's why he's using me as leverage. You can fight it, Leo. I know you can!"

Leo hesitated. He knew it was a trap, but could he allow himself to think that Shredder, their father's sworn enemy, was only bluffing about the device? That there was a flaw to the design? That it doesn't work all the time? That there is a way to resist it? He couldn't be so sure. He had felt for himself the powerlessness in his muscles when he tried to swing at Shredder's face. Could he really risk his brother's safety on a chance? He knew the answer to that question before he considered it.

Clenching his fist, Leo muttered, "Very well, Shredder." He could feel his brother's disappointed gaze, but he ignored it. He could only hope Donnie would be able to forgive him for this one day.

Shredder grinned happily, and pressed a few buttons on the remote. "Just so you are aware, if you even so much as think of resisting the device's compulsion, it is set to give you a little incentive to behave. Now go ahead, you should be able to move your hands now," his dark voice was almost like a purr.

Leo breathed in deeply, closing his eyes as he let the harness control his movements. He fell into a kneeling position and he felt himself reach for the cloth in front of him, shoving the tanto knife aside. Fear gripped him with its icy claws just before he made contact with his mask. 'Do it for Donnie! Don't push Shredder! You promised to protect him, didn't you? You gave your word Shredder wouldn't lay a hand on him!'

Leo forced himself to grab the mask. He was both surprised and unimpressed when he felt the slightly damp cloth in his hands. He wasn't exactly expecting the material to irritate the skin on his fingers the way it was, but he had been expecting something to go awry. He just wished that it didn't have to be so symbolic. 'He must want me to realize that I have no dignity here.'

Drawing in a deep breath for strength, Leo exhaled sharply the instant he tied the cloth around his face. Tears formed in his eyes as he became aware of the burning agony that overwhelmed him. Panting, he fell forward, clenching his fists repeatedly as he desperately wanted to paw at his face. 'Damned harness!' he thought bitterly as he realized he was currently unable to move his arms freely. 'This is why I hate technology!'

While lying on the floor, Leo vaguely noticed that Shredder had approached him and the scene now had the appearance of a beaten dog groveling at its master's feet. Disgusted, Leo mentally prayed that his brother was not watching. It was bad enough that Donnie had to watch him put on the mask, but he didn't want his brother to see him groveling at the feet of their captor too.

When Shredder knelt down beside him, Leo's heart leaped to his chest. Shame burned him as the Shredder's hand fiddled with his mask. At every minute shift, a new wave of pain coursed through him and Leo's eyes threatened to spill over. Fortunately, Leo had enough stubborn pride not to allow this man to see him shed tears but it didn't change the fact Leo was helpless like this. Stuck laying on his plastron and unable to defend himself, Leo had no choice but to lay there while the Shredder tormented him in this way.

Suddenly, the Shredder removed his hand from his mask and Leo let out a relieved sigh. His eyes were still stinging, but he knew that he'd eventually not feel it anymore. When he heard the familiar sound of the Shredder's hidden blade sliding out of his gauntlet he tried to override whatever 'commands' were keeping him still, but to his dismay he found himself succumbing to shock. 'That's…just…great…' he thought blearily.

"Stop! Don't hurt him anymore," Donnie cried out from his restraints.

"What did you just say, _purple_? Do you think you are in any position to be making demands of me? I have taken your leader. I gave him the choice to save himself or to save you because I'm a kind man. He chose to save you because, obviously, you aren't as strong as he is. I can respect that. But if you start thinking that because I've let you be that you are free to speak as you wish," Shredder took a threatening step toward Donnie, "then you are sorely mistaken."

" _You_ are a 'kind' man?" Donnie asked quizzically. He grinned sardonically as he spat, "Hah! You've been anything but! You're a coward!"

"You try my patience, purple," Shredder muttered darkly.

"You hurt my brother! And no one gets away with that!"

"YOU would preach to ME about inflicting pain?!" Shredder roared and thundered angrily toward Donnie, who seemed surprised at this sudden turn of events.

Leo watched the unfolding scene with wide eyes, cursing himself for not being able to rush in and defend his brother. He had to think of something quickly or else Donnie would… Forcing back the black tide, Leo growled, "Don't you dare lay your filthy hands on my brother, Oroku Saki!"

When Shredder turned back to face him, Leo noticed that the madman was wearing a crazed expression on his face. His protective instincts blazing brightly, Leo continued, "You got what you wanted. Now let him go."

After a few moments, Shredder unleashed a booming laugh that sent chills down Leo's spine. "I haven't yet, _blue_. Trust me on that. I want so much more than you can possibly imagine. This was just the first step. But that will have to wait for later. I'll come back tomorrow to play with you turtles. For now I'll just leave you both right where you are."

Leo watched warily as the Shredder strode back to where the remote lay on the floor beside the tanto knife and picked both objects up. "Will you behave yourself, blue? Or do I need to use this?" Then gesturing to Donnie he continued, "You wouldn't make me threaten your companion again, would you?"

Leo narrowed his eyes in response, too tired to speak. He was so exhausted, and the darkness was closing in on him again.

"Good boy. I'll be back in the morning. You better appreciate my generosity. If I find that you tried to escape, you will definitely regret it." And with that last remark, Shredder left, taking the objects with him.

When the door clicked shut and locked, Leo asked in a hushed voice, "You okay, Don?"

"I'm fine Leo. But what about you? Are you going to be okay?" Donnie whispered back, his anxiety palpable in the air.

"Sure I will Don. Just…need…s…ome…" Leo succumbed to the soothing blackness, vaguely hearing someone call his name as the outside world disappeared.

"LEO!"


	7. Chapter 7

Karai sat on her bed, staring blankly at the clock in front of her as she processed everything that had occurred earlier that evening. At about 8 she had captured the princess and set the bait for the turtles. At around 9:30 the turtles had arrived, bringing her the first rush of excitement that thrilled her all day. At 10 she had reported to her father that she had successfully brought back Leo and Donatello. At almost 11:30 they both had woken up from the sedatives and she reported that news to her father. Now it was 12:23 and she felt numb inside.

First was the issue with her father suddenly transforming almost overnight. Ever since two weeks ago a change had come over her father. He had become cold, distant and obsessed with destroying Hamato Yoshi and his disciples. But last night in particular everything had gotten infinitely worse. She couldn't understand what had caused the sudden change, but she knew that the father she once knew was slipping away from her. As far as she knew her father was suffering from nightmares, but nightmares don't cause personality changes…do they? She loved her father, but sometimes she had to wonder what went on inside his head.

That brought her to the second matter of importance. Her father's blatant disregard for Leo was disturbing. The look in his eye when he held the blue mask tightly in his clutches, the sadistic smile he wore when he forced Leo to put the mask on himself, the pleased way his jaw was set as he continued to fidget with it when Leo lay on the ground before him. A shudder rippled through her. She had never seen her father torture someone in this way before.

She had witnessed several torture and interrogation sessions since the time she was eight. Hell, she had even participated in a few herself since she was nine. Her father's preferred method was with electrical "incentives" and psychological manipulation. This…this was completely different. There was some of the manipulation, but as far as she could tell it was mainly Leo being unable to do anything to defend himself and he willingly went along with it. Leo accepted it.

Disgust surged within her. Surely Leo wasn't so pathetic to be broken down that easily. She pondered the thought for a while before she came upon a startling revelation. Her father must have wagered Leo's safety over another individual's, most likely Donatello's. Another shudder rippled through her as revulsion set in. Her father was playing dirty this time. She struggled to place the man she saw in there as her father. After all, her father may play the psychology game, but he never forced someone to either submit or watch another person suffer in his or her stead. He absolutely hated those techniques. He taught her that there was no honor in those procedures. And yet here he was doing the exact same things that he so despised.

It didn't make sense and now Karai regretted how her curiosity had compelled her to watch. She saw the whole thing happen and, now that her mind decided to play it on repeat for her, she kept seeing it replay in her head. She saw everything, from Leo's confidence to his sullen look of defeat. She had wrung her hands, and occasionally noticed that Donatello was watching her with a stern look.

The images swam in front of her eyes and she was lost to the outside world until a knock on the door caused her to nearly jump off of her bed. Startled, she asked, "Who is it?"

"It is your father, Karai. May I come in?"

She blinked a few times before stating, "Yes, Father."

He strode in, wearing a pleasant smile as he approached her and sat next to her on her bed. A small moment of silence passed between them before he spoke, "I am proud of you, Karai."

She turned her head and gave him a quizzical look, "What?"

Beaming, he continued, "You have always brought me everything I ever wanted or needed. And tonight you brought me our enemies."

"Yes, Father." She muttered quietly, staring at the floor in front of her.

"And tomorrow, you will participate in what I have planned for the turtles."

She felt sick to her stomach as the meaning of his words sunk in. She'd help him torture them come morning. She had never been particularly fond of it before, but now the idea seemed utterly repulsive. Torture Leo? She didn't want to. She wanted nothing to do with it. She didn't…and yet she had no choice. She had to whether she liked it or not. She dipped her head and replied, "Yes, Father."

With a smile, her father stood up and made his way to the door. Then, as if considering something, he turned back to face her and hissed, "Don't forget, Karai! We of the Foot Clan don't show mercy to our enemies! Remember that!" And then he strode out, leaving Karai to stare after him in blank terror.

'Does he know that I don't want to do this? No…That's impossible. He can't know. I just don't feel like it is all. It means nothing. It doesn't mean I have feelings for him. That's what girls do. I'm stronger than that.'

Flopping herself down onto her pillow, she buried herself in the light cool fluff that surrounded her face on all sides. She mentally noted that she had not removed her makeup from her face and that her pillow would look like a cosmetic disaster come morning. Shrugging, she decided that she didn't care. Someone would do the laundry tomorrow just like any other day. Instead, she fought to silence her thoughts, growing increasingly irritated with each tick she heard from the clock on the wall.

Twisting and turning, she huffed, "Gah! I am a ninja! A warrior! I don't have feelings! I don't need them! I especially don't need Leo!" She fell silent, staring up at her ceiling as her brain finally started to quiet down. 'Thank goodness.' Closing her eyes, she welcomed the calm that she expected would greet her with open arms.

When she opened her eyes that was not what she found. Inside her imagination, she was honestly surprised to find that she still had one, she was being forced to relive what she had seen from outside the door through that small window. Leo was on the ground, groveling and shivering under the cold stare of her father. She watched with increasing distress and worry, until she felt a more powerful gaze pull at her attention.

When she looked in the general direction, she found that Donatello's burning glare seared right through her eyes straight to her core. Don't they say the eyes are the windows to the soul? She could see everything he thought in that accusatory stare. It was her fault that Leo was suffering. It was her fault that they were torn from their family.

Karai backed away, shaking her head, as she whispered, "No. Stop it. No!" Only Hamato Yoshi tore families apart! And Karai had nothing in common with that monster! Nothing! After all, he was the one who killed her mother out of jealousy. He was the one who left her to die in the fire. He was the one who was to blame for everything that had ever gone wrong in her life.

And yet the secrets of her soul were being exposed for those eyes to see. All around her, people stared and laughed at her. They teased her for not having a mother. Picked on her for not having a normal childhood. Bullied her for the burn scars left on her father's face because of that fire. Hated her for not being like them. Through it all, only one person brought comfort and protection. She sought the security that eluded her. "Father…"

Then suddenly she found herself in the room, a few feet away from him. A smile formed on her face. She was safe now. His deep voice beckoned her, "Come here, child." Elated, she ran toward him just like she did when she was little. 'Father will make everything all right. Father will take care of me.'

Just before she reached him, those blades made an appearance. She froze, her delight turning into terror as the figure that was her father morphed into a black shadow that was equipped with her father's armor. "Father?" she asked timidly.

"Failure comes with a stiff penalty, child," the figure growled in a gravelly voice.

The figure launched itself straight toward her and her voice caught in her throat, trapping a scream inside her chest. Reflexively ducking, she managed to dodge the first attack. Her heart pounded as adrenaline rushed through her veins. This wasn't her father! There was no hint of the man whom she loved and idolized in this monster!

Her fear ignited a fury within her as she spat, "Oh yeah? You think you're so tough? Attacking someone who doesn't have a weapon to defend themselves with? How pathetic!"

"Is it really?" another voice called out to her from the side.

Karai turned her head toward where the voice emanated from the darkness. "Who's there?" she barked, squinting her eyes to try and see the owner of the voice. Something about it struck a chord within her and she felt that she should recognize it.

"Has it been so long that you've forgotten who I am?" A figure approached her from the shadows, continuing to taunt her, "I find that hard to believe. You stood by. You just sat there and watched as the man you call a father tortured me!"

Her eyes widened as the words assaulted her like punches. Although she still couldn't see him clearly, she knew without a doubt who the phantom in her mind was. "Leo…" she whispered softly.

"Yeah. That's right. I knew you'd figure it out. After all, I'm the real reason as to why you're here."

She flicked her chin and hissed, "Don't sound so smug! You aren't that important to me!"

Leo sounded quizzical as he asked, "Really now?" There was a long pause before he continued, "Liar…"

Karai blushed a bright crimson, curling her lip as she growled, "Why don't you just say what you want to say and get it over with? I hate boring men like you."

A short laugh erupted from Leo, the sound of it pleasant to her ears. "I am just a piece of you. My only purpose is to help you sort out your thoughts in as painless a way as possible. Like ripping off a bandaid…" his tone darkened as he growled, "Or like ripping off a mask?"

Hurt laced through her, cutting straight down to her heart like a dagger. Her throat tightened as she asserted, "I told you! I had nothing to do with that! That was –"

"Your father, right?" Leo interrupted her, his tone becoming bitter as he went on. "How could I forget? Your father is the Shredder. Our enemy. He doesn't acknowledge us as equals. Shell, he doesn't even acknowledge us as anything but _freaks_!" He spat out the last word as if it left a horrid taste in his mouth.

Karai flinched, unsure of what to do. She was out of practice with the whole 'comforting' thing. Her father hadn't provided her with emotional comfort since she was seven. He had told her it was a part of becoming a ninja. She'd have to become self-reliant, a stronger and more disciplined warrior.

"Why is it every time you get involved my brothers are in danger, Karai? It's because of you that Donnie is here! Why couldn't you let him go? Why did you have to bring him too? I was perfectly fine with being taken prisoner if it meant they could get away! But no!" Leo was shouting now, "You had to bring my brother here as well! Tell me, Karai! Why!"

"I can't…" she whispered, her mind running a complete blank. Why did she do anything anymore? She didn't know. She was so confused.

There was another long pause before Leo finally growled, "Then until you figure it out, I have nothing more to say to you. Farewell, Karai." Then he vanished into the darkness from whence he came.

She reached into the darkness, calling out to him in desperation, "Leo! Wait! I-"

The hair rose on the back of her neck as she heard a chilling whisper from behind her, "Do not fail me, child! I'd hate to think of what would happen if you did."

Annoyed, confused and scared she whirled around and hissed, "Or what!"

The shadow seemed to smirk at her as it purred, "Why don't you figure it out yourself?" Then the figure lunged for her again, the blades aiming straight for her face as she watched them come in horror. Time slowed and when the figure came close enough she saw its eyes gleam red and it whispered, "Farewell, Karai."

"NO!" She screamed, jumping out of bed in one fluid motion. Landing on the floor, she curled up into a ball, panting heavily as a cold sweat covered every inch of her. Her eyes wide, she searched the room frantically, the adrenaline causing her muscles to tremble as her heart forced blood to them with increased voracity.

After about a minute ticked slowly by, she began to relax. "It was just a dream. It was just a dream," she muttered to herself. She drew in deep calming breaths, closing her eyes as she couldn't help but be swayed by the quiet of her room. A thin smile forming on her lips, she breathed, "It wasn't real."

She stared at her hands as the adrenaline began to wear off. 'I have got to pull myself together. I can't have anyone see me like this,' she thought stubbornly. Making her way over to her simple vanity, she turned on the small light and marveled at her appearance. Her makeup was smeared all over her face and it looked like she had gotten into a fight with a hamburger and lost for all the red and yellow that covered her.

Rolling her eyes, she forcibly wiped her face with a convenient towel that always stayed on her vanity. She knew this would happen. All while she removed the makeup, she couldn't help but ponder what her nightmare meant. Somewhere in her head, it seemed a part of her felt almost guilty about what happened to Leo. But that didn't make sense to her. How many times had her father instructed her not to feel for the enemy? To never show them mercy? And Leo was an enemy…right?

She thought back to that shadowed figure with the red eyes. That figure shared some similarities to her father. But only in appearance and temper…right? A shudder rippled through her as she remembered how the nightmare ended. The shadowed figure was going to kill her. Of that she didn't have a doubt. Her blood ran cold when she aimlessly thought back to the look in her father's face earlier that day when he threatened her. The expressions were identical!

"He's my father," she began to mutter under her breath. "He wouldn't hurt me. He loves me. That was a fluke. It wasn't real. He's just under pressure. He's just stressed. He won't hurt me." Her chanting did little to ease her fears. It was almost like he lost something of crucial importance quite recently.

And again, when he snapped at her for her questions he had a look to his face that she had never seen before. It bothered her. That light hadn't been in his eyes that time he woke up screaming from a nightmare, but now it seemed that every time he had requested something that light would be there. Shining bright in the depths of his once warm gaze.

"I need to take a walk," she declared, trying to distract herself from thinking about what was happening with her father any further than she already had. She had successfully removed her makeup and now she looked presentable. At least she thought she looked far more presentable than she had earlier. Not bothering to put on her slippers, she made her way out of her room and into the dimmed hallway.

She was just aimlessly wandering about when she found herself standing right in front of the room that Leo and Donatello were inside. She felt compelled to go inside, to see and check for herself the damage her father had done. But she stopped short when she remembered the Leo in her dream. He was angry and hurt. She bit her lip, unsure if she should go in and confront the reality of the situation. There was no way they could be anything after this. For some reason, that single thought stirred up a surge of rebellion within her. 'No way!' she mentally declared. Leo was way too much fun to play with, and she didn't want to let go of him so easily.

Having decided to go face the music, she pushed open the door and entered. Instantly, Donatello's eyes landed on her, his narrowed gaze a silent warning that if she strayed too close he'd strike. She had to admit that she was impressed with his attitude. Most others would not have the guts to give such a silent command.

A weak voice caught her attention, "Don? Who is it?"

She turned to where she heard the voice come from and was surprised to find that Leo was conscious. She was both pleased and disappointed to see this. Pleased because it meant her father hadn't gone too far. Disappointed because that meant that she'd have to take her chances and watch as the look in his eyes changed from warm acceptance to cold hatred. Before she could speak, Donatello growled, "It's Karai."

"Karai?" Leo gasped, and Karai watched as he struggled to turn and face her. It disturbed her to see him move like this so she looked away, focusing on the corner of the room.

"Leo! Stop it!" Donatello urged, his tone becoming desperate. "You don't have to do this! Not again!"

'Not again?' Karai silently repeated, reluctantly turning back to look at Leo's struggle to move.

"Donnie, I have to find a way to resist the – AH!" Leo yelped as he began convulsing.

Karai watched in silent shock as Leo had what looked to be a seizure on the floor in front of her. It was mercifully short, but when it was over he was panting heavily.

"Leo, that's why I told you to stop! You can't handle many more of those 'incentives'. Please!" Donatello was begging now, and Karai stiffened when she heard the word "incentive".

Curious, she turned toward the bo-wielder and pressed, "What do you mean by 'incentives'?"

Donatello glared at her and hissed, "Why should I tell you?"

Unimpressed, she growled, "Because I'm the one who calls the shots around here. Now answer my question!" She clenched her fist. If she had to, she would do whatever was necessary to get her answers.

"Leave...Donnie...alone...Karai!" Leo forced out between breaths, meeting her surprised stare with his steady gaze. Having grabbed a hold of her attention, he growled, "Now back away from my brother."

Karai hesitated. If she faltered here then she would give them the impression that she was weak. If she didn't do what Leo asked, he'd be furious with her and that was not something she wanted to see happen. She decided to go with option three, don't seem weak but do what Leo wants. She could live with that. With a sniff, she approached Leo and demanded, "Then you will answer my question!"

Leo smirked and muttered, "Of course." His gaze fell to the ground between them before he lifted them back up and Karai was surprised to see the stern evenness that comprised his whole expression for it completely contradicted his tone when he finally spoke. "What would you like to know, Karai? How I caused my brother to lose his optimism? Or about how I betrayed his trust? Oh, I know. How about I tell you about how it's entirely my fault that Donnie is here with me?"

Karai blinked as his words cut through her like knives. Leo was definitely angry, although he seemed much more upset in her dream. Another difference was that in her head Leo accused her of everything, but here Leo was shouldering the blame for most of it. That was when she realized just how different their worlds truly were. Whereas Leo would shoulder the responsibility, Karai had a tendency to pin the blame on others around them. He was too good to be true.

"Not interested in any of those answers, Karai?" Leo pressed, sounding exhausted.

Karai smirked, "No. I want to know what your brother meant when he said 'incentives'."

Leo leveled his gaze at her, peering into her eyes with such intensity that Karai was feeling as if all her secrets were being exposed before him. All her crimes lay bare; she trembled as she felt him judge her. He finally whispered, "You don't need to know that."

Furious, she snapped, "And why not!"

"It's none of your business, Karai!" He growled sharply, his blue eyes blazing as he stared her down.

She glared back at him, her rage mounting as she yelled, "It is my business! My father had you outfitted with those harnesses! And tomorrow he's going to force me to…" Her voice died as she witnessed a solemn expression of acceptance sweep over him. She stared at the floor, not wanting to vocalize what she believed her father had planned for the both of them come morning.

There was a short pause before Leo muttered, "Get my brother out of here."

"No, Leo! I'm staying with you!" Donatello protested, glaring daggers at Karai as if to caution her against even attempting to set him free.

"Silence, Donatello!" Leo ordered, causing Donatello to shut his mouth in obedience. "If what Karai insinuates is true, then you have to get out of here."

Karai blinked and asked, "What makes you think I'm under any obligation to let your brother go free just because you asked me? I can't betray my father. Surely you understand, Leo."

Leo flinched and looked uncomfortable when her words sunk in. After a brief pause he whispered hopefully, "Then can you at least treat his injuries? Donnie scraped up his wrists pretty badly earlier."

Donatello shook his head, protesting once again, "Leo, you are in far worse shape. I don't need any help. Especially not from her." His eyes narrowed as he looked at her and he growled, "You hurt our April! I don't want any help from you!"

Karai bit her lip as Donatello's words pierced her and muttered, "It's late. You both will need as much rest as you can get before tomorrow." With that, she started back toward the door. She needed to be strong. She had to be a strong kunoichi that would make her father proud. It was bad enough that tomorrow would be one of the most challenging missions her father had ever given her. She couldn't be getting weak the night before such a task. When she reached the door, only then did she pause because she heard Leo call out to her.

"Wait! Karai!"

Karai stared fixedly at the doorknob, not wanting to look back into his face or her determination would waver. She had to get out, but she couldn't make herself leave. She cursed herself for her weakness as she cried, "What do you want, Leo?"

"Just answer me, Karai! Donnie told me that he saw you. You…watched the whole thing. Do I matter to you…at all? I have a right to know! I thought we were…"

She fought to keep her barriers up. She wouldn't allow them to come down in front of him. She swallowed roughly before she whispered, "I can't…"

"You can't?" The hurt in his voice was nearly more than she could bear to hear. She closed her eyes, hoping for him to say anything, to get angry, to retaliate in any way he knew how. Instead he remained silent, and it nearly broke her.

Opening the door just enough for her to walk through, she breathed, "You look better with your mask than without."

The last thing she heard before she slipped through and closed the door behind her was a startled, "What?"

And then there was silence. More silence. Just as heavy as his silence was. Just as tense as her father's silence was. She wanted to scream. Any sound would have been okay as long as it interrupted the silence that filled the space around her. She wanted to run back to her room where at least the clock on her wall would tick by.

Her vision became blurry as she made her way down the hallway. She refused to think about what she had done to him, what she would be forced to do tomorrow. As she closed her bedroom door behind her, she found herself vaguely checking the clock on the wall and she scoffed when she saw that it read 1:30. She could've sworn it was so much later than that. She felt drained, like there was nothing left inside her. With a dim sense of duty she realized that she only had a few hours until she would have to slay her own heart in order to perform her tasks.

As she settled down for the night she heard a voice cry out in her head, but whether that was the requiem of her dying heart or the rallying cry of her warrior spirit she had no clue.


	8. Chapter 8

Raphael paced the living room, growing increasingly irritated with his inability to formulate plans. His head was throbbing intensely, and squinting his eyes did little to alleviate the pain. He had returned home with Mikey and April nearly three hours ago. Guilt tore at him as he found himself remembering everything that had happened since their arrival.

-Flashback: 3 hours ago-

Raph was carrying April in his arms, being careful not to jostle her too much as Mikey kept an eye out for them. The hyperactive knucklehead was too jittery and jumpy for the task so Raph reluctantly let his brother serve as the scout for their miserably small return party.

In his tight hold, April groaned quietly with every jump and bump, causing Raph to utter an apologetic hiss, "Sorry, April. Master Splinter will take care of you." He berated himself for his hope that she would respond in some way, but the most response he ever got was the sound of the air leaving her body through her lips.

"We're here, bro," Mikey's hushed voice echoed in the sewer tunnels outside their home. His bright blue eyes were shining in the darkness, staring at him flatly. Raph tried not to notice that his baby brother's eyes glimmered with unshed tears, instead of the normal twinkling of joy or mischief.

Clenching his jaw, Raph silently fumed, 'Dammit! Don't look at me like that, Mikey! This is your fault, Leo! If only you hadn't been distracted…' He paused as he began to consider what had really gone on that evening. Leo may have been distracted, but the one who distracted him was… He nearly toppled over to the ground as a single and yet condemning thought took center stage in his consciousness. 'It's _my_ fault.'

A chill crept down his spine as the accusation sunk in. 'It's my fault that Leo and Don…' The air left his lungs as the accusations weighed down on him, crushing him where he stood. Unable to bear the weight of it, he collapsed.

Mikey's alarmed cry echoed in the spacious sewer tunnel, "Raph! Bro! Are you okay?! Speak to me, man!"

Raph shook his head forlornly, whispering, "I'm so sorry, Mikey. It's all my fault that they're gone!" He truly was pathetic. He'd never be able to live up to Fearless. So much for his vow to protect Mikey from the harshness of the situation when he couldn't even pull himself together. Sure he acted tough earlier, but his anger had gotten away from him. Just like it always did.

A cold sweat beaded on Raph's face as he felt torn to ribbons before his baby brother. He cursed himself for being too cowardly to look his brother in the eyes and see the silent rage that would turn the bright blue orbs into a cold steel. He unintentionally tightened his grip on April, causing a disapproving groan to float up from between her tightly clenched lips.

At April's incoherent protest, Mikey snapped, "Pull yourself together, bro! You're hurting April!"

Raph flinched, burying his face in the comforting presence of April's hair. He didn't know why, but her warm scent caused his heart to slow, his mind cleared and he felt like he could do anything. Be anyone. He relaxed his iron grip, inhaling her essence as he breathed, "Sorry." She didn't respond, but her wordless protests ceased and she exhaled slowly as if in deep sleep.

There was a pause before Mikey sighed, "It's as much your fault as it is mine, Raphael."

Raph's attention was drawn immediately toward Mikey's hidden face, his eyes wide as he protested, "It's not your fault at all! Mikey, listen to me carefully. You were following orders! Even if they were stupid orders, Leo –"

"That's what I mean! You were following the exact same orders I was!"

Raph blinked as he felt the burning fury that scorched his soul as Mikey glared directly into him. He stammered, feeling his heart race with the adrenaline that was coursing through him, "M-mikey?"

Mikey blinked, his voice and expression softening as he calmed down, "Raph, if you blame yourself then you blame me, Donnie and Leo. It's not any of our faults. Besides," he fell onto his knees and crawled toward a silent Raph as he continued, "I can't save them alone."

Mikey reached Raph, burying his face into Raph's shoulder as tears spilled over the younger turtle's eyes. "Raph," he sniffled, "don't pull a Leo or Don and shoulder all the responsibility. Share it with me. Please. I need you. You're the only big brother I have left."

Raph's eyes stung with effort as he fought to keep from joining his baby brother in tears. He knew that his brother was really saying, _"Please don't brood and abandon me."_ He leaned his head so that it rested atop Mikey's, his throat struggling to make noise against a huge lump that had formed. "Mikey," he finally managed to croak, "I promise."

The sniffling came to a stop as Mikey quietly asked, "Really?"

"Really," Raph promised, forcing a smile in order to reassure both himself and his vulnerable brother. He wasn't entirely sure who needed it more, but he allowed himself to revel in how his smile seemed to help Mikey relax. 'Brooding was more Fearless' and Donnie's thing anyway.'

Mikey suddenly squeezed tight, forcing the air out of Raph's lungs, and growled affectionately, "I'm gonna make sure you keep your promise bro."

Raph rolled his eyes and growled, "Yeah yeah. Whatever. Would I break a promise to you?"

Mikey flashed him a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes and teased, "Now are you absolutely sure that you can make it the rest of the way into the lair?"

Raph watched his brother silently, mildly irritated that the baby of the family was trying too hard to be normal. "Of course I can," he snorted in an attempt to make everything as close to normal as it could be when their world had been completely shattered beyond recognition. He had to at least match Mikey's level; he couldn't allow himself to be shown up by his baby brother.

Raph glanced down at April, feeling the same calming effect from earlier come over him. A small part of him wanted to smile at her, but it was shut down almost immediately by the part of him that chastised him for attempting to soothe himself when who knew what was happening to his brothers. Especially when one of them harbored feelings for the red headed girl who was still being held in his arms, close to his plastron and right near where his heart pounded. Suddenly aware of how long he had stared at her and of the fact he was not alone, he tore his gaze away and mumbled, "Go on ahead. I'll be right behind you."

At that Mikey's grin faded instantly, his blue eyes huge as saucers as he stared blankly at Raph. Tension filled the air between them before Raph realized just what he had done. The chaotic mess from earlier replayed through his mind as he remembered the last words he had heard Donnie say before… His mouth became dry and his skin felt clammy while he struggled to search for anything he could say to rectify the situation. He had screwed up, and he was trying to keep the promise he had just made, but he felt the familiar guilt start to settle in his stomach as if it were making itself a home.

Raph shut his eyes tight, not wanting to see the damage he had done to his brother's precarious emotional stability. 'What do I do? What can I do? Dammit Fearless! If you were here then…' His mind raced as he searched frantically within himself for the solution. He was no levelheaded leader; he was supposed to be the protector. He was the wall between his brothers and the enemy, not the one with the answers. And he especially was not the one who bulldozed right through his brothers' own fragile emotional barriers just when they were struggling to keep from crumbling.

After a pause that lasted way too long, Mikey let out a weak chuckle, "Heh. Of course you will. Alright then. I'll go on ahead."

Raph kept his eyes shut as he both heard and felt Mikey get up to leave. Just before he heard Mikey's footsteps reach the short set of stairs that marked the entrance, Raph decided to chance looking directly into Mikey's face. He felt his heart leap into his throat as he took in the defeated expression on his baby brother's face. Biting his lip he reminded himself that it was his fault that Mikey looked dead. His fault. He had really put his foot in his mouth this time.

"Do you want me to talk to Sensei about it, Raph?"

Raph flinched when Mikey asked him the question. He hadn't been expecting the shadow of his brother to speak to him let alone the fact that his tone was hollow. The emptiness was haunting and Raph cursed himself for screwing up. Swallowing the bitter taste of his own torment, Raph clung tight to April's sleeping figure like a lifeline and muttered, "No. I'll do it."

Mikey's head tilted to the side as he flatly asked, "Are you sure? I can talk to Sensei if you don't want to."

Shaking his head in refusal, Raph forced a thin grin and replied, "No. I'll tell him. After all, if Fearless can do it every time then it can't be that hard." He watched Mikey out the corner of his eye, trying to see if his miserable performance would have any impact on his depressed brother. A depressed Michelangelo was just wrong on all levels.

Raph didn't know whether to be pleased or disappointed when he saw that Mike's mood hadn't improved. He watched him go from inside the nearly silent tunnel, the only sound coming from April's hushed breathing. "This is the worst day ever," he sighed, taking care not to jostle April as he shakily rose to his feet.

Once he was fully standing, Raph made his way into the lair. He had a job to do. And since he had more or less epic failed with protecting his brothers, now he had to at least keep his promise to Donnie and Leo. To bring April back home where they could take care of her until it was safe for her to return to her home. He paused briefly at the thought and glanced down at her face, her bruises so much more obvious in the light of the lair. A hot fury began to come alive as his mind filled itself with the image, reigniting his desire to see Karai pay. With a huff he hurried toward the couch, eager to make her comfortable after being in his grasp for so long.

When he finally reached the couch, and after his comedic struggle to arrange a pillow so that April's head would rest on it, he found that a tiny part of him didn't want to let go of her. The whole way home she had served as his lifeline that kept him at least halfway focused on keeping his promises and distracting him from chasing after his brothers like he firmly wanted to. What if he let her go and he lost control of himself? What if he did end up running out of the sewers only to get captured which would leave Mikey alone? What if…

April stirred in his arms, pulling him out of his head. "Wow. What a way to pull a Leo," he scoffed. He had learned the hard way that leadership did not suit him the way it did his brother. Sure he had been jealous in the past, but it seemed to him that being leader only brought doubt and way too many brooding thoughts.

Giving her an impulsive squeeze that thoroughly surrounded him with her warm scent, Raph laid her softly down on the couch. Yet again, just her comforting presence was enough to clear his mind and allow him to come up with a simple game plan. He was going to talk to his father. He was going to rescue his brothers. He was going to rip Fearless a new one for giving such a ridiculous order. And to top it off he was going to pound Karai into the ground for causing all this trouble.

A thin grin formed on his face as he began to make his way to where Master Splinter would be meditating while he waited for the regular mission report. With every step he took, Raph could feel his heart pound more anxiously. After making it halfway there, he stopped and turned a glance over in April's direction. "Aw man," he groaned, pressing his palm to his face as he made a dash for the kitchen, "I'm such an idiot!"

When he reached the kitchen, he saw Mikey hard at work making some culinary disaster. Relief and anxiety warred within him. This either meant that Mike was somewhat back to normal or that he was really tense and wouldn't take kindly to being interrupted. A tight smile on his face, Raph hesitantly asked, "Mike, would you mind doing me a favor?"

Raph's smile brightened a bit when Mikey turned toward him and he saw that his brother looked a little more alive than he did when Raph last saw him. Raph had no clue whether Mikey was genuinely feeling better or not, but for the first time since their mishap earlier that evening there was a dim twinkle in those eyes. To Raph at least that seemed like an improvement.

Mikey tilted his head slightly; a small grin firmly plastered in place as he inquired, "What's up?"

Raph stiffened a small amount at the inquiry, hesitating for the briefest of moments before whispering, "Would you keep an eye on April for me? She's not waking up and…" His voice trailed off at the end, becoming fully aware of how his cheeks burned and the way Mikey was looking at him suspiciously.

Mikey looked thoughtful for a moment, his gaze scorching Raph's face before he gave a slight nod. "Sure thing," he stated calmly with his eyes still fixed on Raph.

"Thanks Mikey," Raph stated as he turned to leave the kitchen. He slightly regretted having rushed through asking the good-natured goofball to watch April for him. His heart started to drum heavily as he strode to where the dojo was. The hardest thing he'd have to do tonight was just ahead. 'Does Fearless always feel like this,' he thought as a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

From behind him, Raph could hear Mikey whisper, "Good luck." He internally scoffed at the encouragement. He would need more than luck on his side for this. He would need to be brave, just like his Fearless Leader was for every report he had to make. Raph could see how antsy Leo would behave whenever something would happen on patrols or missions that had the potential to backfire when he eventually told Sensei. He never envied this, especially after he realized leadership wasn't his thing, but Leo was the perfect one. And as far as Raph was concerned, if Leo was nervous about reports, than Raph was doomed from the beginning.

When he reached the dojo entrance, he took a deep breath. Judging from the light and the shadows coming from underneath the door, Sensei was meditating. This was not the best of signs, and the realization caused Raph's heart to race even more. Master Splinter didn't like to be interrupted during meditation, and throughout the years they had all learned that it was wise to leave him be during these regular sessions. He wilted slightly, now he was definitely asking for trouble.

Raph turned around, his shoulders sagging in defeat, and saw Mikey watching him from the couch where April lay. Raph stiffened, his eyes narrowing into slits as he growled, "What do you want! Splinter's meditating! I'm not gonna interrupt him."

To Raph's surprise, Mikey shook his head and muttered, "It's nothing. I'm just wondering what Leo would do if it was us who was captured by the Foot."

Raph blinked, allowing the insinuation to sink in. As his gaze fell to the floor, Raph could feel his face warm under the scrutiny of his conscience and his baby brother. 'How pathetic! You're abandoning your brothers for the second time tonight? What the shell is the matter with you,' he heard his inner self antagonize him. His eyes burned even hotter than the rest of his face as he found he truly detested how cowardly he had become. They had a point! Leo wouldn't let the fact that Splinter was meditating stop him from doing what had to be done. And if that wasn't bad enough, he faltered in front of Mikey…and April.

He wasn't worthy of being a part of this family. He knew that he was the worst son. He'd never live up to Leo…and that was why he had to confront his fear of a lecture from a furious father. Few things in life were more frightening than Master Splinter's fury – especially when it was directed at him. Raph knew that he loved his father, but he constantly had doubts as to whether or not it was reciprocated. He always screwed up and was never good enough. But however Raph felt about his own standing, he knew without a doubt that Sensei always loved his brothers. A grim smile formed on his face as he mumbled under his breath, "Mikey can't get them back alone. The only way I can make it up for my failure is to bring Leo and Donnie back…even if it costs me my life."

Somehow, that helped Raph find it within himself to face the wrath he knew would be awaiting him on the other side of the door. It was all or nothing now. Gripping tightly to his courage he straightened up, turned around and knocked on the door.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

A hushed growl sounded from the closed dojo, "You are late, Leonardo."

A shiver rippled down Raph's spine as he heard the restrained anger that scorched his ears. Twiddling his fingers, Raph announced, "Master Splinter, I need to talk to you."

There was a tense pause between them, and Raph could hear his heartbeat count the time for him. Finally after about eight heartbeats, Splinter spoke, "What is it, Raphael?"

"May I come in?" Raph felt a twinge of irritation at how his body betrayed his feelings. He may be stubborn himself, but apparently his body was even more so because it just did not want to relax. Every muscle was tensed in readiness, his heart pounding against his chest, his forehead sweating bullets.

Another pause, this one much briefer than the last, passed before Sensei's cautious tone reached him, "Of course you may, my son."

Raph swallowed thickly, drawing in a deep breath as a final attempt to get his nerves under control. After silently counting to three, he made his way inside.

Upon entering, Raph noted that Splinter was facing the wall, his hands held behind his back as they usually were. A dark sense of foreboding formed in Raph's stomach as he walked toward the center of the room. That was Father's "serious" pose, and that almost always meant that someone was in trouble. Out of habit, Raph made a beeline for his spot on the mat and knelt down, his head lowered in respect for one's master.

Raph couldn't help but flinch just the tiniest amount when Sensei whirled around suddenly, his tail twitching while he asked, "What is it you want to tell me, Raphael?"

Raph lifted his gaze just enough to see Sensei's feet, the rest of his body completely frozen in place. The room felt cold to him, but he pushed the thought away and to the back of his mind. Now that he was here his throat felt tight and it hurt to swallow. But eventually he was able to get his voice to work and, although it was raspy, he managed to croak, "Master Splinter, a lot happened during our patrol today. While we were out we heard that Karai had captured April. We thought it would be best to retrieve her as soon as possible and although we were successful in rescuing April - "

THUD

Raph barely managed to keep from jumping when Sensei fell to his knees before him. Raph looked into his father's face, feeling miserable for how Sensei's horrified expression pierced him like an arrow. Raph's eyes widened as he noticed that Sensei looked like he'd been struck. The room became even colder, and Raph thought there was ice in his stomach for all the good it did him. Trying to keep from shivering, he asked in a shaky voice, "Sensei? Are you alright?"

The ice spread throughout Raph's body when Master Splinter suddenly placed his paws on Raph's shoulders and whispered, "Raphael…why are you the one telling me this? Where is Leonardo?"

If Raph ever felt horrible about anything he had ever done before in his life, this was easily ten times worse. He knew he had to say the words, but what would happen to Sensei if he did? Sensei looked like he'd crumble into a thousand pieces if he dared to utter another word.

' _I can't save them alone.'_

Raph gritted his teeth as Mikey's plea echoed in his mind. He'd have to have faith that, somehow, Master Splinter would pull through just like last time. Keeping his gaze focused anywhere other than Sensei's face, Raph whispered, "Leo and Donnie, they were captured by…Karai."

Raph wasn't too sure what he expected, but he braced himself for just about anything he could think of. Accusations. Guilt. Disappointment. Anger. Just about anything that could make him want to sneak back into his shell and just hide there for the rest of the day.

After several moments of deafening silence, Raph's morbid curiosity got the better of him and he chanced a glance into his father's face. What he found was that a huge variety of emotions flashed across Master Splinter's face so rapidly that Raph didn't know if they were really there or if they were just imagined. He saw a few that he had been expecting to see: anger, guilt, grief, disappointment and concern. But, for just the briefest of instances, Raph could've sworn he saw an emotion he had not been expecting.

Relief.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a section where things get a touch more graphic marked off by ***. It's nothing too bad but if you want to skip it, then go ahead.

As he paced the halls of his tower, Saki fiddled with the remote in his hands. He couldn't help but marvel at how his head engineer Richard had managed to create such an intriguing device. 'With this I can control the wearer's every move...just like I did with that turtle earlier today.'

The memories played back like a movie reel, the images swimming behind his eyes. The look of defeat the creature wore when he presented it with the mask. The terror that gripped at its soul when the soaked fabric touched flesh. The creature's desperate attempts to mask the unimaginable pain that crippled it. Saki's lips parted in a smile as the image of the turtle groveling at his feet came to mind.

He couldn't explain the feeling, but with every punishment he gave it, he felt as if the spirits of his brethren were being cleansed. All the crimes that had been enacted were purged from their memories. As long as he could make the turtle suffer he'd get his revenge on all of them. Even Yoshi would be made to pay the consequences.

But the absolute power he had held over the struggling reptile was the kind of thing Saki could become addicted to. He remembered Richard saying something about it overloading the brain with so many stimuli that the subject would be helpless to do anything on their own. Hence why it was designed to be worn like a harness - to cover more area and as such over stimulate the brain with greater ease.

As delighted as Saki was with the results of his experiment, his conversation afterward with his daughter left a sour aftertaste. He couldn't put his finger on it exactly, but something about her seemed...off. And it bothered him. It ate away at his nonexistent patience, leaving him irritable.

He thought back to when he first flew Karai in from their home in Japan. She had been completely normal then. Stubborn, but obedient. Beautiful, but deadly. Testing his patience constantly, yet always trusting in his judgement.

What had changed since she had arrived? He was still the same. He made sure his subordinates treated her with the respect she was due as his daughter. She had proven to be able to stand toe to toe with the turtle...

Now that he thought about it, she had seemed genuinely disturbed to see him holding the blue cloth that was very much a huge part of whatever that mutant was. Not to mention the torn expression on her face upon his informing her that she would have to participate in tomorrow's prisoner activities.

Stroking his chin, Saki's mind raced through several different scenarios, his frustration mounting with each eliminated possibility. Until only one remained. Upon that sickening realization a grimace formed on his face. 'That freak! That abomination! It dared to corrupt my daughter?!'

His eyes narrowing into slits, Saki growled, "It will pay for what it has done to her!" Eyeing the remote in his hand thoughtfully, he clenched his fist around the device. 'Don't worry, my daughter. I'll make sure it never touches you again. I'll protect you from its filth if it's the last thing I do as your father!'

Saki stormed his way over to where the prisoners were held, his mind steeling itself for what he'd have to do. He'd teach these abominations just what it meant to try such a heinous act with his daughter! His grip tightened over the remote, 'And I'll use this to get my point across.'

Upon reaching the door, Saki peered through the miniature window that allowed him to see inside. He found that both his target and its companion, or brother as they referred to each other, were sleeping. As he reached with one hand for the doorknob, Saki could have swore he witnessed one or both of them shivering just slightly. 'Good,' he thought as he swung the door open.

BANG

The door's collision with the wall echoed throughout the room, startling both creatures out of their slumber. As he watched awareness return to their expressions, Saki strode toward the center of the room where he had left the blue one unconscious earlier and teased, "I see my scientist was correct. Leave even mutant reptiles in a chilled room long enough and they'll be like putty in your hands. Did you sleep well, freaks?"

The blue one's azure eyes narrowed, any earlier surprise having long vanished by now and it growled, "Is it morning already? I was just getting comfortable."

The purple one looked thoughtful before it spoke in an accusing tone, "So that's why the room is built this way. Any heat that gets in is immediately lost to the ceiling." It turned a glare on him as it spat, "Can't be too good for your heating bill, now can it?"

Saki glared back at the purple one, but decided to ignore the taunt. He had far more important things to do than banter with an abomination about such trivial matters. He focused his attention on the blue one who lay on the floor, pleased that the harness was still working to keep the turtle right where he had left it. Tilting his head, Saki strode over toward the turtle until he towered over it and taunted, "Is that so, Blue?"

From where he stood, glowering down at his prisoner, Saki watched with increasing interest as he saw the turtle's muscles ripple as it attempted to obey its survival instincts and get away from the threat. 'This isn't supposed to be possible,' he mused, stepping a few feet back as he watched it work its arm underneath itself to help prep itself up.

It was long and tedious to watch, but Saki had to admit that he was impressed by the turtle's determination to sit up from laying on it's belly like it had been earlier. Although, it seemed, such an action was not without effort. The turtle was panting quite heavily; its forehead beaded with sweat that trickled down its face.

Thoroughly impressed, Saki asked, "How did something like you manage to do something like that? My top engineer built that to serve as the perfect puppeteering device. When it's active, the wearer should not be able to move at all on their own free volition."

The turtle smirked back at him, and between breaths it stated, "I...found...a...way..." It met the gaze of the purple one, its brown eyes shimmering with hope as it practically beamed with pride for the blue one's accomplishment. "Besides," the blue one continued, its breathing becoming more even, "we...can't afford to stick around...any more..."

Saki uttered a simple "hmm" before he raised his arms up in front of his face. He watched the turtle very shakily get on its feet, its face paling under what Saki assumed was the intense backlash every one of his men had reported after being asked to move on their own free will while the harness was set to a certain position. While some had managed to defy the harness to varying degrees, they had all stated that the further and further you got from the settings, the harder and harder you had to focus to move even a bit more.

Saki didn't have a doubt in his mind that the turtle was stronger and more determined than he gave it credit for. After all, this was the first time he had ever seen anything resist the backlash to this degree. But still, any further movement would be impossible. He began to lower his arms to their sides, confident that there was no way that -

Saki reflexively ducked as a green fist flew at his face, startling the ninjutsu master. "What," he growled, his eyes wide with shock as he realized what had just happened. 'Surely it didn't...'

The frustrated azure eyes of the turtle glared into his, hissing as its punch missed, "Dammit!" It gritted its teeth and spun around, obviously aiming to use a roundhouse kick to send Saki flying sideways.

Saki lifted his arms in front of his face, easily blocking the weak kick and grabbing hold of the turtle's foot in a fluid motion. He could feel the turtle attempt to pull out of the grip, desperate to free itself. He laughed at its pitiable efforts. After letting it try for a few seconds, he tossed the turtle over his head and let it fall shell first to the ground.

"Leo!" The purple one shouted. When Saki glanced into its face, its eyes were huge as saucers as they stared at the defeated blue one.

Saki placed one of his feet on what he understood was the plastron or whatever the underside of the shell was called and gave the gasping Blue a smug grin. "I'll admit you surprised me, freak, but that's about all the defiance I'll allow from you."

From within the cavity of his gauntlet, the same place the hidden blade lay, Saki pulled out the remote device. Showing it to both of the turtles, he taunted, "Did you forget about this?"

The blue one coughed, its wary gaze fixated on the remote. The purple one hesitantly asked, "What are you gonna do with that?"

Saki smiled and practically purred, "Be patient, Purple. You'll see soon enough." He fiddled a bit with one of the dials on the remote, turning it three clicks to the right. Putting it back into his gauntlet, he removed his foot from the turtle's chest, flipped the turtle back onto its belly with his foot and took a few steps back. Dipping his head, he mocked, "Kakatte koi, Blue! It's the only way you mutants are going to escape."

Blue's eyes narrowed as it stared at him, seemingly weighing its options. Clearly it was being cautious, and Saki didn't have the patience to deal with that. No, he needed to teach it a lesson it wouldn't soon forget. But this creature was young and foolish. It wouldn't be hard to get it riled up.

Grinning, Saki continued his taunts, "Doushita? Are you scared? If you won't cooperate," he pointed to Purple, "then I'll just play with that one instead."

Quite predictably, Blue's eyes widened in alarm as Saki began to make his way over to the other one. He had to give Purple some credit for wearing a brave face. With every step towards it Saki took, its brown eyes burned brighter in defiance.

"Wait..." Blue choked out, a whistling note accompanying its weak plea.

'You can do better than that, turtle,' Saki thought disdainfully as he finished his slow march towards the purple one. It glared daggers up at him, bringing a smile his lips. This one was almost as entertaining as the blue one was. Even this close to him, it didn't show any signs of fear. It wore a perfect mask of defiance on its face.

Only when Saki reached out and grabbed Purple by the chin did a shudder ripple through its body. Grinning from the encouraging sign, he brought his spiked gauntlet closer and closer to its face. As the blades drew closer, he could feel it tremble beneath his fingertips. Its eyes shutting tight as he felt its pulse increase. But when the sharp blades were just barely touching the mutant's skin, he heard a far more energetic protest erupt behind him.

"Shredder! If...you lay another finger...on my brother..." Blue growled, only pausing to draw in deep breaths of air, "I'll destroy you!"

A malicious smile formed on Saki's face. 'That's more like it.' Before he turned around to face his now fully motivated target he gave Purple a pat on the head. A wave of pleasure surged through him when he saw the turtle curl its lip in disgust.

Upon returning his attention to the blue one, Saki heard the purple one growl, "Leave him alone! He's been through enough already!"

'How adorable,' Saki mused as he stood between the two turtles, both of them glaring daggers at him. He had never seen such ferocity and determination in his prisoners before. Even members of the same clan would eventually abandon the other in the interest of their own survival. 'I wonder how far I can push them?'

Turning his gaze back over his shoulder, Saki asked the purple one, "Would you like to take its place instead?" He noticed that the purple one flinched just a tad at the question, the look in its eyes taking on a hurt glint. Before he could think about it too much however, the other one snapped.

"Why don't you stop playing games, Shredder?" the blue one's voice deep and menacing as it hissed, "We all know I'm the one you really want. So leave him out of this!"

"As you wish," Saki chuckled, his eyes glittering with anticipation. There would be no more interruptions! It was just him and -

He had only taken a single step in Blue's direction before he heard the purple one start panicking. It lunged against the chains and yelled frantically, "No...NO! Leo! Don't! Please! You don't have to do this! You can't take - "

"Damare! Donatello, that's enough," the blue one ordered harshly, silencing the purple one. Its eyes met with Purple's, and to Saki it seemed they shared a silent conversation that helped to calm the purple one down. When Blue broke eye contact with its companion and subordinate, it looked directly into Saki's eyes and threatened, "I'll admit I couldn't breathe earlier, Shredder. But I've caught my breath now and I'm more than ready for you."

Saki gave the purple one a quick glance over his shoulder, surprised to see that instead of the earlier panic his expression held the note of silent determination. With a flick of his chin, he mocked, "Koi! If you can, freak!"

Blue's eyes narrowed, its forehead furrowing as it lay flat on its underside. Time ticked slowly by as Saki watched the turtle fail miserably to move its body. Behind him, the purple one was whispering, "C'mon Leo. You can do it. You did it before. You can do anything."

Eventually, Blue glared up at Saki, panting from exertion, "What...did...you...do...?"

Grinning, Saki couldn't help but laugh, "Hah! About time you realized! I was beginning to wonder if freaks could even figure out something as simple as this!"

"Figure out," the purple one muttered behind him. "Figure out what?" It paused before hissing, "What did you do to my brother you...you monster!"

Smiling brightly, Saki pulled out the remote and showed it to both of them yet again. "Didn't I just remind you both about this handy device and what it means for the likes of you," he teased, relishing in their vacant expressions.

Blue's eyes widened in realization, "Then...earlier...when you were fiddling with that..."

The purple one finished its companion's thought, "You changed a setting!"

Saki put the remote back, lumbering over to the blue one as he chuckled, "Exactly. I have something I want to say to you, Blue. After I saw how you managed to overwhelm the minimum level of stimuli interference from the harness, I knew I needed to increase it to the maximum level." As he knelt down close to the turtle's face, he muttered, "I don't know how something as lowly as a mutant could accomplish something like this, but it is a problem. And I think I found quite the effective solution, don't you freak?"

A shudder rippled through its body, its breathing becoming shallow as Saki placed his hand on the turtle's sweaty forehead. A snide grin on his face, Saki leaned his face even closer to the anxious turtle and whispered, "How's the mask feel?"

A low growl rumbled in the turtle's throat as it answered sarcastically, "Oh, it's been great. Thank you for returning it to me, Shredder. I wouldn't trade the experience for the world."

Narrowing his eyes, Saki's eyes landed on where the turtle's mask made contact with its skin. Under the bright lights, the flesh looked swollen and raw, as he had expected it to respond after coming into such prolonged contact with the sodium hydroxide solution the cloth had been soaked in. Like a child would do to a fish tank, Saki tapped his fingers on the cloth, and muttered, "Then I'm sure you don't mind my doing this."

With every tap, a sharp hiss passed between the turtle's lips. But between each of them, it groaned, "You...you must have...come here for some...some reason other than...to irritate me, Shredder. What...what do you want?"

Rubbing the top of its head with his hand, Saki whispered, "For some reason that I cannot fathom, my daughter becomes upset whenever you are brought up in our conversation." Leaning his face in closer to the turtle's drenched cheek, he breathed, "I will give you a chance to explain."

Saki could practically feel the turtle's muscles tremble they were so close. It kept its gaze to the floor, obviously avoiding Saki's own accusatory stare, before it muttered, "Why would I know?"

Saki wrinkled his nose, curling his lip as he spat, "Not only an abomination, but a liar as well!" As he stood, glowering down at the creature, a slight wave of amusement rushed through him when he saw it relax just a tad. 'I will not let you escape your shameful behavior so easily. You will admit your guilt before me, mutant!'

It let out a surprised yelp as Saki grabbed it by the foot. As he dragged the creature closer to the wall opposite its companion, he could feel it tense its muscles in a meager attempt to break free. This would be far too easy, but at least its pathetic struggles to overcome the harness's neurological interference would keep him entertained.

...

Donatello watched in horror as Shredder dragged his weakened brother further away from him. Tears stung his eyes, his throat tightening when he saw the flash of fear in his brother's eyes. If he had blinked, he would've missed it for Leonardo quickly concealed it under a determined expression. 'Oh Leo...' He thought despondently.

Then, not too much later, Shredder flung his wide-eyed brother into the wall. Donnie gasped when he heard what sounded like a crack when Leo's head and shell made contact with the unmoving surface. His jaw trembled when he saw his brother's head droop, his normally clear and bright eyes beginning to glaze over. 'No...'

Then, to Donnie's further horror, Shredder grabbed a strap that reached across Leo's upper plastron and hoisted him up. Donnie strained his neck, desperately trying to keep an eye on his defenseless brother. He let out a frustrated hiss, 'Damn that Shredder! He's in my way!'

He froze when he heard the Shredder roar, "You did something to her, didn't you?!"

If a shiver ran up Donnie's spine, he couldn't imagine what Leo was going through. He had to rely on his ninja training to keep the sound of his heartbeat from drowning out what was being said between them. It was already hard enough to hear their voices, and Donnie needed to listen for his brother's voice. 'As long as he's talking, I know he's alive. Please be alive, Leo!'

Donnie thought for a moment that the tension would strangle him. But then he heard what he was searching for. His heart skipped a beat when Leo said in a quiet voice, "I don know...yer talkin bout."

But any relief he felt evaporated when Shredder backhanded Leo across the face and snarled, "You lie! I know what you did to my daughter! A filthy mutant like you...touching my daughter in that way?!"

Donnie blinked, shock and disgust warring for dominance within him. Shock because his gaze filled with the faint specks of crimson that dotted the formerly pristine tile floor. Disgust because, although he knew and understood his brother's feelings for the kunoichi, the mere idea of the two of them together left a sour taste in his mouth. And judging by the sound of Leo's voice, Donnie was positive that Leo was as taken aback as he was.

"What?" Leonardo muttered, his voice shaky as he continued, "Are you accusing me of...of..."

A growl rumbled in the depths of Donnie's chest, his fingers clenching into fists. 'Shredder can't be serious! Leo would never -'

Shredder hollered, "It is the only explanation for her behavior! Now tell the truth monster and I may just let you off easy." He paused before continuing with a far more obvious warning edge to his words, "Test me again and I can't guarantee my continued hospitality."

'Hospitality?!' Donnie thought incredulously, biting his lip to keep from disobeying his leader's...brother's orders which could only make things worse for him. If it wasn't for Leo's silent assurance that he would definitely pull through, Donnie would have long been driven mad with his uselessness. 'He calls this hospitality?!'

A small chuckle escaped Leo's lips, and Donnie's heart ached to see that his brother was thinking the exact same as he was in regards to the so-called generosity of their host. But then Leo snapped, his voice shaking with rage, "I have never done such a thing, Shredder! Don't put me in the same category as your disgusting Foot soldiers! For I have something that they clearly lack! My honor! And no amount of your generosity," he spat that word with a special level of disgust, "will ever take that from me!"

Although he couldn't see his brother's expression, a shiver rippled through Donnie's body. He had never heard his brother sound like that before, but it definitely reminded him of one incident when they were younger. An angry Leo was scary, and Donnie prayed that it would shake Shredder to see it like it shook him to hear it.

Donnie's muscles flinched sympathetically when he saw Shredder deliver a punishing blow to somewhere on Leo's plastron. He heard his brother cough, gag and wheeze all at once while Shredder's deep voice caused the air to rumble around him, "What, exactly, are you accusing my men of, Blue?"

Donnie flinched, lowering his gaze to the floor when he heard his brother cough and wheeze. He couldn't believe that Leo was forcing himself to sputter between hungry gasps that were interrupted by furious bouts of hacking, "I...would...never...do that...to someone...anyone... No one deserves that... I'm not like you."

His brother paused briefly, most likely to catch his breath, but it piqued Donnie's interest all the same. He could almost feel his brother's sympathy, apology and grief wrap around him when Leo stated bluntly, "I don't rape people."

Donnie froze, his mind retreating inward as the true weight of what Leo was saying sunk into him. 'April...was raped? But...but...but earlier...Leo had sounded so sure that she hadn't...that she would be just fine...was it all a lie?' Donnie could feel the embers of his temper start to kick to life as he muttered to himself, "He lied to me."

Turning his head away, Donnie started to shut out his surroundings. Clenching his fists, he completely wrapped his awareness in layers of thoughts. Everything from the buzzing of the bright lights, to the savage growls, to the pained yelps, to the loud smacks, to the sharp cracks, to the heavy thuds and the angry hisses. He didn't want to hear it anymore.

He just wanted to go home. To a time when he and his brother's could trust each other. When there wasn't a need for lies. To a time when the girl he loved hadn't been exposed to such cruelty at the hands of the man who now held him here. Alone. Completely abandoned and forgotten by everyone.

_"Don't you dare lay your filthy hands on my brother."_

Donnie bared his teeth, angry at his brain for bringing up the sound of Leo's voice. He knew that Leo was here with him. But what did that matter in the face of how little his big brother trusted him to stay strong? He had trusted in him completely every time Leo had used himself as a living shield for them. 'He lied to me. He should've just told me the truth. I can handle it.'

_"Go! Now! I can't hold it back any longer!"_

Donnie's thoughts slowed down, the bitterness of that particular memory intolerable. His brow furrowed in frustration, his clenched fists still trembling. 'Why did you lie to me, Leo?! If you thought that about April's injuries all along than why?! Why would you keep it to yourself all this time?! I thought we were brothers! I thought we could trust each other!'

_"Why don't you stop playing games, Shredder? We all know I'm the one you really want. So leave him out of this!"_

Donnie stared blankly at the floor, trying to understand what his brain was telling his angry self that he already understood. 'Just tell me why, dammit! I'm not in the mood for puzzles right now,' he yelled internally.

_"I'm going to make sure Shredder doesn't lay a hand on you. Whatever happens, do not say a word or interfere."_

The realization hit Donnie with a heavy blow. Warm tears stung his eyes, threatening to spill over. His stomach dropped as he muttered, "He lied to protect me! The idiot!" Deep down he had known that this would be the answer he'd find. And the knowledge crushed him from within. 'I told you that you were a horrible liar...but you fooled me.' The tears were streaming down his face now, leaving salty trails in their wake.

Sniffling, Donnie jolted his gaze up from off the floor. He would give his brother a stern talking to later but for now -

SNAP

******* Donnie's breathing stopped as the sharp sound assaulted his ears. His tears dried up. His eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of his brother. Except...he wasn't moving very much. His eyes were closed. His body was marked with thin red lines that shed bloody tears, gravity drawing them downward beneath him. 'How long was I inside my head?! It couldn't have been more than a minute at most!'

"Leo?" Donnie whispered, his eyes frantically searching for any sign that his brother was still alive. When his hyper alert brother didn't so much as twitch, time stopped for him. He began to lunge against the chains, rattling them.

'I need to get to Leo.'

The cuffs began to cut into his wrists. His shoulders throbbed and burned in protest. But Donnie didn't care. His brother was in serious need of help. He was right in front of him, and yet out of reach. It drove the scientist turned medic mad at this simple and yet irrevocable fact. And it worried him that Shredder was circling his brother, hissing insults and eyeing Leonardo hungrily. Donnie realized he was running out of time. 'Surely just one more try should do it.'

As he continued his battle against the confines a warm, wet and sticky substance started to run down the lengths of his arms. He glanced down for just a moment to double check what it was. "Tch, I'm bleeding," he uttered as he rolled his eyes. The cuffs had chaffed his wrists, rubbing them completely raw. He ignored the way they stung. Instead he stood there frozen as he happened to glance back just in time to see Shredder beat up on his brother. *******

Sympathy pains ripped through Donnie as he watched, wide-eyed in shock. He didn't think there were so many ways for a turtle to be injured. His stomach twisted in on itself, demanding that it be emptied immediately. But fortunately, he was able to maintain some level of composure. But with each blow Shredder dealt his brother, Donnie winced.

He wanted to look away. He wanted to pretend it wasn't happening. He wanted to believe that this was just some crazy nightmare. He would've wanted anything but this. He never wanted a front row seat to seeing his hero get beaten to a pulp by a monster. And then, by some sick twist of fate, Donnie saw it. His brother opened his eyes and stared right at him.

He knew what that look was. Leonardo was still telling him to stay out of it. Still protecting him. Donnie clenched his fists, trembling with some emotion he'd never experienced before. Was it sadness? Guilt? Anger? Donnie didn't know, but it made him feel hollow inside. Tears welled up, threatening to spill over as he did the only other thing he could think of to save his brother's life. He begged.

"Stop it..." Donnie muttered, his face warming in shame. Here he was, a trained ninja, able to take down alien barriers with a modified toaster, begging the enemy for the life of his brother. His gaze fell to the ground, staring blankly as silent tears ran down his face.

THUD

Donatello flinched at the sound, and pleaded in a louder voice, "Please! Stop! Shredder, I'm begging you! You...you're killing him!" He kept his head low, hoping in some way that would help his case. His stomach knotted. He never felt more pathetic.

It seemed to work when Shredder stopped, turning his head in Donnie's direction. A shudder rippled down his spine as he became the center of Shredder's attention. His heart raced when the monster muttered, "Did you say something, freak?"

His whole body was quaking, and Donnie cursed himself for his cowardice. 'Be like Leo. Be like Leo. Be like Leo,' he chanted mentally. Whether or not it truly helped, Donnie wouldn't know because at that very moment Shredder began to move. Slowly stalking toward him. Dragging a weary Leonardo behind him.

Donnie's breathing intensified with every step the Shredder took towards him. He had to try again. His mouth dry, he spoke hoarsely, "Please...Don't hurt him anymore. You've won. Just let him go."

His heart and breathing stopped the instant Shredder stood right in front of Donnie. Shredder's dark eyes glittered as he let go of Leonardo and shoved him over and to the side. Then the Shredder spoke maliciously, his words shaking Donnie to his very core, "I decide when I'll stop. This monster" he poked Leo with his foot, "committed an act so heinous that it must be punished. Do you disagree, Purple?"

"Monster..." Donnie muttered, feeling his rage from everything he had witnessed and heard since they had arrived flicker to life. He had tried to be diplomatic. He had even abandoned his pride and begged. But that single word sent him over the edge. He lunged against his chains again for the umpteenth time and hissed, "I only see one monster here, Shredder! And it's you! You...you beat up my brother! You've just about killed him! And he's done nothing to deserve that! Not to mention that your device prevents him from defending himself! You're a coward! You monster! Now let him go or I swear -"

SMACK

Donnie blinked. His left cheek stung. A warm wetness started to make its way down his face, running along his jawline and landing on the floor. He didn't know where the sensation came from, but he knew one thing. Shredder had just slapped him. His eyes watered, but Donnie was determined not to let this devil see his tears.

Then Shredder snarled, "I warned you earlier not to test my patience. Now suffer the consequences."

Donnie shut his eyes tightly. 'So be it,' he thought, bracing himself. Maybe this would help alleviate some of this emotional weight that was crushing him. His rage from earlier had completely drained him of all his energy to resist. If Leo could take it, than Donnie was going to do it as well.

"Wait..." A weak voice interrupted.

Donnie's eyes jolted open, his gaze landing on his brother's shivering body. Relief crashed through him. He smiled faintly and whispered, "Leo..."

Leonardo's glassy eyed gaze focused on Donnie, and between gasps he whimpered, "I...thought I...told you...to...stay...out of this...Donatell...o..."

"Urusai!" Donnie snapped, relief warring with frustration. "Leonardo, I don't want to lose you ever again. Last time I thought you were gone forever and it nearly destroyed me. From now on no matter what happens, I'm not gonna let you sacrifice yourself for me anymore!"

Leo blinked slowly, opening his mouth to speak. At least until Donnie fixed him with a heated glare. After that, he closed his mouth and breathed out a whistling sigh.

Donnie's gaze softened as he took in his brother's wretched condition. His heart split open, adding fuel to the proverbial fire of his emotional state. He yearned for the freedom to run to his brother's side. Every fiber of his being was urging him forward. And the fact that he couldn't ate away at him. Keeping his attention on his wounded brother, he muttered, "What now, Shredhead?"

Shredder hummed, apparently pondering that very same question. When he spoke, there was a deceivingly innocent undertone that caused Donnie to pull his gaze from Leo, "Well, first we need to take care of this turtle. My scientist, Paul, is experienced in working with reptiles. He will be the best suited for the task at hand."

Donnie blinked, completely confused by this turn of events. But the confusion evaporated in an instant the moment Shredder grabbed hold of his chin, forcing the both of them to make eye contact with each other. Revulsion coursed through Donnie's body as Shredder placed a hand on his plastron. Then the man whispered, "He can look at your injuries too, Purple. What do you say?"

Donnie shivered. Practically everything about this wasn't right, but he knew that Leo needed medical attention. And he didn't have his first aid kit on hand. Not to mention he was unable to make physical contact with his brother. His hands were, quite literally, tied. 'Why ask me this,' he thought in wonder. Furrowing his brow, he stared into Shredder's eyes, trying to figure out what he was planning.

Hopelessly confused, Donnie hissed, "Only if I can watch. If he does anything fishy - "

Shredder smiled knowingly, "Very well then. I'll summon him immediately."

Donnie kept a wary eye on Shredder as the man...monster's hands left him. But when they went for Leo, his pulse skyrocketed. He parted his mouth and shouted, "Don't touch him! Don't lay a hand - "

Shredder silenced his protest with a harsh stare. He then grabbed Leo and slid him closer to where Donnie was. "I figured the two of you mutants would want to take comfort in each other while I went and summoned Paul. Besides, I think that Blue has learned that it needs to stay away from my daughter. Such an abomination isn't even worthy of gazing upon her. And don't forget, Blue, that I can just as easily make Purple pay should you test me," he stated flatly before heading back to the door.

The sound of receding footsteps echoing in the room, Donnie's gaze instantly fell to Leo's face, worried about how his brother would take this final blow. His eyes were tightly shut. His jaw clenched. But Donnie couldn't tell if that was from the sheer extent of the physical injuries, or if it was the blow to his heart that caused this mask of pain.

After the door slammed shut, silence fell over them for the first time since they'd been in the Shredder's care. It was quickly shattered when Leo whispered, "You...okay, Don?"

Shaking his head, Donnie sighed, "Compared to you? I'm perfectly fine." It was true. But he was far from okay. It crushed him to see his brother like this. Beaten. Broken.

A weak chuckle escaped his brother's lips, "Haha. I guess I don't," he winced, breathing in sharply as he continued, "look all that great right now. I'm glad you're alright though."

Donnie's lip started to tremble, upset with his brother for everything and nothing at the same time. He snarled, "Baka! You could have been killed, Leonardo! And for what? To protect me? To protect her? When will you realize that we need you!" He paused, choking on a lump that formed in his throat as shameful tears spilled over. When he was finally able to speak, he croaked, "That I need you."

Leonardo was silent, the only sound he made being the wheeze that accompanied every shallow breath. Donnie was prepared to go on another tangent when Leo whispered, "Gomen ne, Donatello. I didn't mean to worry you so much."

A growl rumbled in Donnie's throat. 'Typical,' he thought angrily. 'He apologizes for getting beat up but he won't apologize for being a living shield.' He sighed, deciding to let his anger go. How could he be mad when his brother had just been turned into a rag doll?

The click of the doorknob startled them both, and Donnie could've swore that he saw his brother flinch at the sound. That sent a jolt of terror right through him. 'Who is it now,' he thought as he glared at the door, masking his fear behind anger.

When Shredder strode in with another man, Donnie's heart leapt into his throat. This new man just gave off all kinds of wrong vibes. A huge grin was on his face. His beady eyes twinkled when they met Donnie's eyes, sending a shiver down his spine. Shredder was dangerous. But this guy was frightening on a whole other level.

"Master Shredder," the creeper purred, rubbing his hands together in front of him, "so these are the turtles you wanted me to care for?"

Donnie's stomach dropped when Shredder confirmed, "Yes, Paul. They are. Now you can feel free to do whatever," Donnie could've sworn he saw Shredder shudder here, "you want with them. As long as they are in perfect condition for the next round of tests."

Paul's squeal of delight sent shivers down Donnie's spine, "Oh goodie! As we agreed then, milord. My cousin will be so delighted to have those samples!"

Shredder coughed, looking uncomfortable as he replied, "Yes. Well, as long as their overall health isn't compromised. I must be going now. And if they start to get feisty, use the syringes I gave you. It'll calm them right down." And with that, Shredder left the room.

Donnie stared wide-eyed at Paul. 'This guy is Paul? This is the guy who is supposed to treat Leo's injuries?! No.' His body shook as his mind continued to race. 'Even Shredder didn't want to be around him! And he said samples. What samples?!'

So lost in his own head, Donnie didn't notice that Paul was now examining Leo's vast array of injuries. It wasn't until Leo groaned that Donnie came back to reality. The way Paul was listing them all off, like he was going shopping, sent a shiver through Donnie's body.

As if sensing Donnie's fear, Paul smiled sweetly and giggled, "Oh you can stop your worrying, turtle. It's only going to be some blood, some saliva, maybe some skin... Master Shredder made it very clear I wasn't to cause either of you anomalies serious damage."

That did little to stop Donnie's rising panic. His breathing increased, his pupils dilating as he vaguely realized he was hyperventilating. 'Those are still bad! Very bad! I never agreed to this!' But then, Leo muttered, "You said they were for your cousin?"

Paul clapped his hands together cheerily, "Why yes. My cousin has been oh so interested in you turtles ever since I told him I got this job working for Master Shredder. He studies genetics and he loves getting new samples to analyze. He will be so thrilled to have your samples added to his collection!"

That sent up red flags in Donnie's mind, silently thanking Leo for helping him refocus and calm down. He held his breath as Leo chimed in with another question, "Who is your cousin?"

Paul tapped Leo's nose, practically beaming with pride as he answered, "Nah-ah-ah. Nice try, turtle. He works in a secret agency. I can't be giving his identity out to everyone who asks. Now," he clapped, "are you specimens ready to be examined? Hmm?"

The non-answer froze Donnie's blood solid. He met Leo's gaze, and was horrified to see his own feelings reflected in the swollen blue eyes that stared back at him. This cousin of Paul's was bad news. Whoever he was.

As Donnie felt a needle jab into his arm, cold dread filled him. He tried to say, "No. Wait. I wanted to keep an eye on my brother!" But whether or not it came out like that, or even at all, Donnie had no clue. A curtain of black started to come down, luring him into a state of stupor.

Distant sounds of conversation reached him through the fog of his mind. But he couldn't hear what was being said. Was it even real? Was anything real?

'Leo...'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another note: Please keep in mind that just because certain characters think that something has happened doesn't mean that it actually has.


End file.
